Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-11-27
FARLEY
OVERFEDERALPLAN
TosEII!E STRIKE
Majority Believed to flavor
Accepting Proposal Made
by DR.. Garfield.
WORKERS OFFICIALS
TO MERLA1E TODAY
Union Mef Seriously Considering
Rejection of IA Per Cent
Wage Increase.

Wage Increase.
With a majority apparently in favor
of accepting the proposal of Fuel Ad-
ministr9tor Garfield that wages of
miners be increased IA per cent with
out any increase in the price of coal to
ting consumer, bituminous coal operators
from all parts of the country went into
session here today to discuss the gov
ernment's offer.
The operators remained in session for
nearly two hours, but no agreement
was announced, and the matter was
referred to the executive committee Of
the central competitive district opera
tors, which went into executive session.
Officials of the United Mine Workers
OF America were not to meet until late
in the day, but apparently there was
little change of sentiment among
them in opposition to the fuel admin
lstrator'S proposal.
StnI Consider Rejection.
The union men still were seriously
considering rejection of the offer
and continuance of the strike
! which already has brought about a
national coal crisis.
The miners said the governments
offer was less than that of 20 per
cent made voluntarily by the opera
tors last week. To this the operators
replied that the 20 per cent increase
was based expressly on an expected
increase in the price of coal. Some
miners believed convention of the
United Mine Workers representatives
possibly would be called to pass final
| ly on the matter.
Some Operators fin Opposition.
Some of the operators apparently
were no more willing than the miners
to accept the governments offer, hold
ing that the increased wages without
an increase in coal prices would be
| unfair and would result in the closing
| of number of mines.
| When DR.. Garfield last night told
| the miners and operators of a gov
eminent plan of settling the dispute
by granting the miners IA per cent
| increase in wages, with the emphatic
| stipulation that there would be no
increase in the price of, coal to the
| public, it brought an outcry from
both the miners and operators.
Questions DIR. Garfield.
In the midst of a sharp cross fire of
questions at last nights meeting
Frank harrington, president Of the
ers, asked DR.. Garfield il the miners
would be regarded as outlaws" ~if
they did not return to work.
| THE government never has attempt
| eu 10 compel men TO Work against
their will, but every protection will
be offered miners willing to return to
the mines" DR.. Garfield replied.
harrington replied that he did not
! think this would be necessary for
miners in Illinois. as he did not be-
lieve there were any>in that state who
would care to return under the new
wage conditions.
DIR. Garfield said the lowest wages
paid to miners was S475 day, and
] hof lit u - ~-,s~.
| imum average annual return amount
| ed to $3.50. This sum, he added. lis
little higher than wages in other
employment, and this is without con-
sidering the IA per cent increase"
William Green. secretary Of the
United Mine Workers, asked if $3.50
was sufficient to maintain American
standards of living.
THAT depends on circumstances" said
DR.. Garfield. There are very few who
! get more than $50 a month l won't
admit that decent American standard
! isn't permitted"
To nay higher wages than the pro-
! posed scale would make miners a fav-
| ored class, and would result in the
| payment by the public of an enormous
fund to minority DR.. Garfield said,
replying to further questions from Har-
! rington.
Such a situation, DR.. Garfield added,
does not differ from that Of corpo-
ration that attempts to add to its profits
| at the expense of the few.
| Dr. Garfield explained he was not
| trying to dictate to the wage scale COM
mittee what it should do. but that he
! was prepared to say that regardless Of
the amount of wage increase agreed to
by the operators and miners, the pub
lie would not be called upon to pay
more for it's coal
! Argues Against Increase.
Phil H. Penna. operator of Terte
Haute, Ind, said the IA per cent in
| crease would more than absorb the mar
gin of profit of the Indiana mines this
! year. ="
How are these mines to continue IN
! operation?" he asked.
| DR.. Garfield replied that under n
| falling market of demand the high
cost of operation" mines would have
| to close or else have to operate at a
loss. Many of these mines, Mr. Penna,
said. represent the labor and sacrifice
OF mems lives. of men who are too
ola TO commence again, and the gov
eminent must not make a demand
that puts men out of business"
William Green, secretary of the
United Mine Workers, declared to-
day would see the end of all neeo-
tiations as the operators are opposed
to granting any increase and the min
ers cannot proceed on the figures Civ.
en- by DR.. Garfield"
Many of the miners said they agreed
with Alexander Howatt, president Of
the Kansas miners, who announced
that IF we are unable to receive q
wage here that will guarantee us a
! decent living 365 days in the year. we
will go home and fight for a while"
Basis of Computation.
In explaining his formal statement,
DR.. Garfield said that in computing
the wage advance he had accepted
Secretary Wilson's estimate of 79 per
cent increase in the cost of living
since 1913, which was the highest es-
innate made by anybody. -
He declared that miners today were
receiving higher wages without the
ii per cent increase than any other
class of workers in the country.
AT the opening of the meeting DR..
Garfield read the statement carefully.
while both sides gave him the closest
attention. He declared it was not ii
proposal, but a statement Of fact
Lewis, jumping to his feet at the
conclusion of the fuel administrators
statement, wanted to know what had
become of the proposal by Secretary
Wilson.
THE miners came to Washington
Lewis said, Eat the request of Secre-
tary Wilson, who is authorized under
the Law to arbitrate disputes. We
understood that he represented the
cabinet and indirectly the President
himself. Acting in his official capac.
ity Secretary Wilson offered the min.
Does the government intend to res
CONTINUED on Second PagaA =.