Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1919-12-18
Miners End Strike, Accepting
IA Per Cent Increase With
Hopes for More.
COAL PRODUCTION RESUMED.
Commission to Determine Futurs
Wages and condltlons-Labor Lead
srs Preparing Declaration % Prin-
clpIes-c Chicago captures the
Republican National Con
M vention Of 1920.
BY EDWARD W. PlckARp.

". = . ~ ~
After causing financial losses rum
ming far into the millions and wide
spread distress and Inconvenience, the
strike Of the soft coal miners came
to an end last Wednesday >on terms
that might just 40 well have been &C.
cepted week or more earlier. The
men resumed work at a wage advance
Of IA per cent, which was Just what
Fuel Director GARFIELD offered. They
have, however. saved face by accept
ing these terms from President VIII
son himself, and the settlement In.
cludes provision for the appointment
BY the president Of a commission that
shall determine the exact wage In
creases to which the miners are en-
titled. The public may console itself
for the suffering to which It has been
subjected by the reflection that It will
now receive the fuel for which 1t has
been clamoring and BY the virtual as
surance Of the government that the
operators will not be permitted to sad
die upon It any Of the increase they
are compelled to pay the miners.
Radical elements among the miners
strove to upset the settlement. but
their motion to reject the offer was
voted down after hot argument. Act
Ing President Lewis. and Secretary.
Treasurer Green. who had journeyed
to Washington to meet the government
authorities, were insistent that the
plan be accepted and they had their
way. The men began returning to the
pits on Thursday. and though in some
regions they were slow in resuming
work, by the end Of the week produce
ton was again approaching normal.
The operators feared there would not be
enough cars to carry away the coal,
but were renssured on this point BY
officials Of the railroad administration.
First shipments were hurried to thosa
points in the West that, without fuel.
we're suffering exceedingly in the pre-.
vailing cold weather. &
OF course 1t will be- months before
production at the mines can make up
for the long shutdown and reserves
are restored. Consequently the drastic
orders for conservation Of coal, issued
by DR.. Garfield and BY local commits:
sinns. remain in force to q considerable
extent. In some Of the. eastern cities
there was displayed great reluctance
to abide by these regulations and the
fuel administration had to threaten
the selfish recalcftrants with prosecu-
ton. sd s{s
The commission on mine wages Il
to be appointed BY President Wilson
and will consist OF three members, one
Of them an operate and one miner,
II is believed 1t will be- able to make
Its report within sixty days. It has
the power to readjust both wages and
profits as well a. working conditions
The hope held out to them for more &c.
3ceptabls conditions In the future wa
what induced the miners to accept thu
settlement /; In Dr.. Gart1eld's offer, tiey
said, they were given no chance 80
| yend the II per cent increase. The ne
gotiatlons on behalf Of the goyernmeni
were carried on ~ Attorney General
Palmer. and his friends believed 81
had thus squared himself witt, sSflis
labor element whose ~ & viii be- M
Incurred " the tnjph ction proceedinxi
Eat Indi1napo DIN.
II was sid ~ Washing ton that fi,s
incl sadminis Hon was ut hjssly
pleased ~ sti,s terms 1t sGsttieG ~
II 10afan3 the C0ifai1if ~ mi -