Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-12-21
NAMES COAL COMMISSION
OPERATORS DENY REPORT
OFFER IS ACCEPTED
More Power win TIC t.i,cn to 'rrio
Named IL truuc>t l.
Unanimous.
ICY tss"oia,,d rr'>.s.l

WASHINGTON. Doc. 2O.-Coincldent
tonight with President Wilson'S np-
pointmcn, OF Tho commission of three
10 carry out the Governments pan
70" settlement OF the scf;-cool strike.
tGc executive committee Of tho btu
minouS coat operators association is
sued a icrsc statement Natly druying
THAT ;hc operators had agreed TO or
been consulted IN roSUrd 10 the set;
Tho operators denial was aimed
$pucitCdl!y AT statement contained
i'm M-.' WILSON'S iicntic9I letters TO
thc three commissioners he has Sc
loctcd liCury NJ. Robinson. Pasadena.
Gal, rcprcScuiins the public; John h.
Wn.te tSpreSHuting The miners. and
roprcscn'inS The .operators-that tho
operators As well as miners had
.asrGcd 20 AND, adopted" the govern
diatcly ny 4 statement from attorney
General palUcr declaring II wpCid lie
an "amazins r"pndiation OF thei- own
failed 10 accept the settlement niS:..
The text Of the operators statement
follows:
The OPERATORS have not agreed TO
,ioned in the Presidents letter 70
Messrs. Robinson, White and Pcalr
The operators were not consulted
government ana the miners"
In his letter to Ny Robinson. the
President reviewed the coal strike Sit
uation and the Various i-ui;lesS tf-
forts made TO arrive at settlement
before hi; own plan was proposcd and
SAID he had been informed shat the
operators have EcneralIy agreed" 20
the Plan and told the commissioners
that Il, in their Judgment after fun
/ =,
'ncnt or the price OF coal shall be found
necessary he would clothc them WITH
ninisir"iion TO carry. out that iudg-
ment. This grant OF power will be
given. however, The President added,
only in the event or unanimous deci-
ings.
me Presiden, informed The COM
he would call a mcetine OF the COM
mission in Washington TO iav out
plans for its work
Text of Presidents Letter.
The text OF the Presidents letter TO
MI Robinson Identical With those sent
20 Mr.. White and Mr., Pcu!e, follows
My dear Mr.. Robinson:
ON October i. 1917. wiki the official
approval and sanction of the United
states tue! Administration. AN agree
incnt ,Since known as the WASHINGTON
tween the operators and The union MINI
crS and mine workers Of the So-ca He'd
.certral competitive bituM!nous coz!
fields composed o. Western PcnuSyl-
van!a, ohio. Indiana and Illinois. which
provided for an Increase I'm the pro
auction OF bituminoUs coal and an in
crease':a wages to ;he miners and mine
workers from thc then existing scale
OF COMPENSATION. The agreement con
tained the following clause:
Subject 20 the next biennial conven-
tion o. the United Mine Workers 81
America, the mine workers representa-
uvcs agree that the present contract
be extended during the continuation Of
me war and not 70 exceed TWO years
from April !. 1915
A-rccmcnt Approved.
Subsequently, on January 10. iGIS
This agreement was approved by the
convention of the International Union
United Mine Workers OF America
Al the fourth biennial convention of
The Internal iona! Union, United Mine
Workers Of America held in Cleveland.
Ohio from September . 10 September
"a 1919. Tho So-calicd scale committee
submitted a report recommending,
among oth"r things that the couvcn-
,ion demand a So per cent increase APP
plicahIe 70 all Considerations OF day
.abor and 10 all tonnage. yardaGc and.