Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-11-23
COAL OPERATORS
DEMAND RIGHT TO
MARK Up PRICES
Before Agreeing to Settle
ment Owners Seek Fuel
Administrator.
AGREEMENT is DELAYED
UNTIL MONDAYS MEETING
Call On Garfield to Pass Higher
Pay to Workers On to
Public.
LEWIS DENOUNCES OPERATORS
Declares They, With Sinister Bust
hess Interests, Are "CriminalIy
Delaying" Negotiations.
LEWIS DENoUNCEs OPERATORS
Declares They, With Sinister Bust
ness Interests, Are "Criminally
Delaying" Negotiations.
fBy Associated Prc.s.I

WASHINGTON. Nov. 22-Secretary
Wilson's proposal for a wage advance
OF "l.sl per cen, for day !aborers and
-'i2 cents Der ton for coal diggcrs
was accepted this afternoon by John
j.. Lewis, acting president OF the United
Mine Workers on behalf OF the miners.
Refusing to accept proposals made
~ Secretary OF Labor Wilson as q
basis Tor further negotiations. soft
coal operators OF the central compcti-
tive field rested their case to-day with
Fuel Administrator Garfield. whose
oificia! approval is necessary to vail
date any new wage agreement.
The public would not stand for n
wage advance above their Offer OF -
cents per ton to Goa! diggcrs and 90
per cen. to day laborers. the opera
tors asserted.
They refused to make further over
osition. which was Withdrawn follow ing
inc deadlock Fr day. unless the gov
sTnmen., through the fuel administr,-
n6Acd burden to the nations fuel bill.
Leave Matter With Garfield.
The operators are prepare to leave
The government unless DIR. Garfsid
fh h n6okesas ay 9ns Of the dc'ni,
was held today.
Dr. ti2rncid notified the mine owners
tee, OF which Thomas T. Brewster is
eeihaissman' until after he has consul,ct
mer D!rector-Gencrai Hines AMI
Judge c. i. Amcs. Assistant Attorney
II was considered likely that tho
neg, nsSS!9;'iait ,6 might have 10 go over
70 get the mines back into operation
before the threatening coal famine
brings disaster VIII be worked ont.
Says Figures Are Partisan.
Operators representatives author
:;sed the statement that in their opin-
Pn figures on which Secretary Wilson
costs In inc coal regions. were par
,isnn The s.ecretary told Inc sub;
not speak for the government. il was
.a.d, While Or; Garfield is said 10 have
told individual operators that the Of
cnt conditions Justly.
a 59e Nine @o4ker!n rf sonsht chart The
the, operators with .'criminaly delay
ing" tho negotiations through n con.
tcrests," including both mine owners
and others vino have been openly op-
posing a settlement"
Following n two-hour session OF the
min:rs, Mr. Lewis announced that the
workers had accepted Secretary Will
day by Mr.. Wilson. provided for a fla,
ircreatt in mining rates OF 21.l2 cents
per ton. Nat increase in day wages
OF Sl.5S and an increase in yards and
dead work of 31.6l per cent
stand Scven-IIour Day.
Mr.. Lewis also announced that the
miners stood on their counter PROMO
sal for Il seven hour day, "A Saturday
nalf-hol!day and reference OF all in
tcrnal disputes back TO the districts
IN which they originate for settlement
Some Of the operators, including
members OF the scale committee of the
cen.ral competitive field. Nj. Lewis
said. have indicated Il willingness 10
without waiting for concerted action
lie said he had agreed to sign scpa-
rate contracts.
Explaining his suggested wage adj
his calculations on an increase of 1873
per cent in the cost of living in three
hituminous mining towns since De-
cents per ton was arrived at by aver
aging the balance needed to make the
Pittsburgh and Hooking Valley pick
mining rates eGuivalently TO the in
crease in the cost of living with the
.nargin on the same basis in the Dan
vile and Indiana fields. .
Attack Wilson's Figures.
Operators attacked Mr.. Wilson'S fig
ures on the ground that from so to 90
per cent Of mining in the central COM
petitvc field is by. machine Calcu-
Mr. Wilson'S proposal would mean a
wage raise of lis per cent, they said.
me Secretary'S suggestion of 3l.61 per
cent increase in the day wage would
mean an increase over 1914 OF 1917
per cent. they added.