The Washington times., 1919-11-18
.M|NEOWNERS
WOULD OMIT
INCOME TAXES
TOBOOSTPAY.

Uncle Sam viii pay the bin for the
coal miners increased wages-if the
latest proposition Of the OPERATOR
is successful.
Operators, meeting in secret ses-
sion here today, had practically
agreed to grant wage increases 70
the miners, equal to the excess prof
Its which they had last year and
which were taxable.
Garfield Gives Warnine.
DR.. Harry A Garfield. Federal Fues
Administrator. this morning called
the miners into conference and toIc
: them the public and the Government
: demand quick settlement and fair
dealing for all parties concerned. He
warned them that the public would
stand for no unnecessary Delay. This
afternoon. DIR. Garnsid viii give u
~nuns usessAge 10 the epxrators.
\ Aanifesting the Aggressive atti-
tude with which the coal Industry
was administered during the war. DR..
Garneid told the miners, when they
came into his Office, that an sxree-
ment with the operators must be
reached He announced at the same
time that, while acting in the capAc-
ity OF unofficial" arbitrator, he does
not propose to see an agreement made
that will saddle the cost of settlement
on the coal consumers of the country
in the form of an increased cost
See U. D. Taking BasA.
By some of the miners. the action of
! DR.. Garfield was interpreted as
tantamount to the Federal Govern
ment stepping into the situation and
announcing that an agreement must
not only be arrived at, but with terms
and provisions satisfactory TO the
Federal Administration. in behalf Of
the country, as well as to the miners
and operators.
] There is an equitable basis on
which the rights OF the public, the
miners and the operators may be
equally protected" said Dr. Garfield
That is the basis which must be
found in solving the problem OF the
, present moment
/ mo agreement which does not pro
tect the interests OF the consuming
public, as well as the miners and the
! operators, will be tolerated. NY de-
sire and my wish is TO assist you in
finding basis, and to serve each Of
you in coming to G harmonious up-
derstanding"
OPERATOR Badly splu.
| Trade differences and preJudices are
running rife among the operators In
their executive meeting today. Groups
OF operators from dirersnt sections
| Of the country, fiercely resentfuI over
Nruaf fhaU the a.
equalities" OF the past, are demanding
thaat the forthcoming wage agree
ment shall assure their trade rights
against competitive fields, az well as
protect their investments in the mat
ter OF wage scales that are put into
effect.
That DR.. Garfield is tirins Of this
situation among the operators vss
intimated today, with the suggestion
that a message of equal force as his
statement to the miners this morning
will be delivered tothe coal producers
when they come before him this
afternoon.
That the miners representatives
are lighting out differences amonr
themselves became equally apparent
this morning. The representatives
from the outlying districts, including
central Pennsylvania, Missouri Iowa
Kansas and Colorado, are demanding
that they have an equal voice in the
ma sking Of the wage contract for the
central competitive district
Plan Wage Increase.
In a secret meeting Sunday the
operators figured out q tentative
basis for wage increases that would
approximate about 23s per cent ad-
vance to the miners. In ratio 10 min
ing costs. this would raise the over
head costs OF producing coal about
35 per cent
This plan was discussed with DR..
Garfield yesterday, but neither he nor
any OF the operators have intimsted
what transpired in that conference.
The operators are iercely resentful
over what they allege has been the
effort OF Secretary of Labor Wilson
to 'unionize the coal Industry
through urging a national wage pact,
instead OF several pacts by districts,
"a contract OF that kind would give
the miners a grip on the coal industry
that could never be broken. asserted
an Ohio producer today.
The excess profits paid by biturni.
nous operators last year run into mil.
lions OF dollars. Neither the opera
tors nor the miners would estimai,
the aggregate surl TODAY. These
profits were paid chiefly from the sale