The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1919-12-25
Calls Their Statement MereSt
bubble and Unworthy of
Such as They.
SAYS THEY AGREED TO PLAN
Cites Many Statements by Mine Own
ers and Declares They Had Clam
ored From the Outset for Arhi-
tration Of Some Kind.

! General Palmer has issued state
ment scoring the coal operators
for denying that they had agreed to
accent the presidents plan for adjust
ing the coal strike troubles.
The attorney general said that the
operators statement is 1.-THE merest
bubble" and unworthy of the repre-
sentatives of great industry" Con-
tradicting the operators, he asserts
that the memorandum signed by him
self and acting President Lewis, of
the miners, did not change the presi-
dents proposal.
''The operators remained absolutely
silent until after the men were back
in the mines, said Attorney Gener-
al Palmer. '"Then for the first time
they began to object"
Operators Must Keep Faith.
The attorney general declared that
the government expects the operators
to keep faith" and that IL necessary,
means will be taken accordingly, and
that the commission will proceed with
its work. His statement follows:
1.-THE statement of the executive
committee of coal operators, in which
they deny that they agreed to accept
the presidents plan for adjustment Of
the differences between the miners
and operators, is the merest bubble
and quite unworthy Of the representa-
tives of great industry. | cannot
believe that the scale committee of
the operators, which understand will
meet in Cleveland, will stand for any
such reputation Of the position
which their representatives have re-
peatedly taken.
"On October Is, il q letter to the
secretary Of labor, which was sub
mitted to the joint conference Of min
crs and operators, the president pro-
posed to refer the matters in dispute
to a board of arbitration for de-
cision. In public statement the OPP
orators accepted this proposal using
the following words:
1.-The operators recognized
President Wilson's letter as a
command from the chief execu-
| tive of the nation. This command
itself provides, as the main OBJ
| jective, for continuous operation
of the mines during negotiations
or arbitration, the first and most
! important point for which the OPP
| orators have contended at all
| times Under the circumstances
was no proper course but to ac-
| cept the presidents proposal
without reservations and thereup-
on informed the secretary Of la
! Dor Of their acceptance
1.-THE miners rejected the proposal.
| ION October %, the president is
| sued a statement in which he repeat
ed his willingness to appoint "a tri-
/! bunal to investigate all the facts with
a view to aiding in the earliest pos
/ sible orderly settlement of the ques-
| tons at issue between the coal oper-
ators and the coal miners This pro-
posal also the operators promptly ac-
copied while the miners rejected.
I'm the presidents statement dated
December g. he repeated his willing
ness to appoint such a tribunal to
make further inquiries into this
whole matter and to review not only
the reasonableness of the wages at
which the miners start to work but
| also the reasonableness of the gov
eminent prices for COAL and said that
/ this plan assured to the miners
| prompt investigation and action upon
| matters which are not settled to their
satisfaction This also the operators
| promptly accepted and the miners fin
ally accepted 1t also.
I'm addition to that the operators
| at joint conferences with the miners
| had repeatedly offered arbitration of
the matters in dispute, offering
amongst other pians commission to
be appointed by the president, which
the miners had rejected. Thus the OPP
orators pledged themselves repeated
| ly by agreeing to the presidents pro-
| posalS to submit to arbitration the
matters in dispute and the questions
at issue The memorandum which
was prepared by me and submitted
to the miners conference at Indian
| apolis did not change the presidents
proposal. thus repeatedly accepted by
the operators, in the slightest particu-
lar It's reference to the matters in
| dispute and the questions a issue was
| in plain harmony with the language
of the presidents proposal. It re-
ceived the unqualified approval of
| Mr. Brewster, who had been the chief
spokesman of the operators up to that
| time
The fact is that the operators from
/ the beginning have been clamoring for
arbitration. More than that. they re-
peatedly stated their perfect willing
ness TO go along with the government
| in any plan that the president sug-
| gested. Their allegation now that
j they We're not consulted about the form
of the memorandum which was SUBJ
4 fnH ~ ,frr-c Sc