Evening star., 1919-12-21

the public interest. To this end
deem 1t important that your conclu-
action. Upon your acceptance OF this
appointment, / shall be pleased to
call an early meeting of the commits.
sion in Washington. so that you may
promptly lay out plans for your work.
"(signed, WooiDRow WILSON,"
Attorney Generals Statement.
Attorney General Palmer. in his
statement taking Issue with the op-
orators. made reference to the testi-
mony given Friday before the Senate
coal invstigating committee by AL
fred NJ. Ogle. chairman of the execu.
tive committee Of the coal operators,
alleging that the Attorney General
had suggested to the operators D
compromise with the miners involve
ing more than a II per cent wage In
crease before the settlement nego-
tiations between the government and
the miners began. Ogle told the COM
mittee that the operators considered
this proposed compromise "a coward
ly AID dastardly surru.iier L. the
rights of the public and the govern
ment'
MIR. PnImer's Statement.
After quoting this portion of Ogles
test imony. Mr.. Palmers statement said: :
Thee is not word of truth in that
statement
Continuing. Mr.. Palmer said:
Som difference Of opinion had been
expressed in the newspapers as to
whether the offer OF the operators Of
20 per cent increase in wages had
been conditioned upon an increase in
the price of coal. Mr.. Ogie came to
ME On Friday. december 5. to deliver
a written copy of the offer which had
been made by the scale committee in
the joint conference with the miners.
Il told his committee that the gov
"rnn ..,,t y :. lot .. ,.':.it.st n;ei'. On
Of making any compromise Of any kind
or character, and proposed 70 stand
squareiy upon the position 1t had al
ready taken as announced several times
by the President and myself. The op-
orators had offered 20 per cent in
information as to whether that offer
was conditioned upon the price Of coal
being raised and whether. as a matter
Of fact, the industry could stand an
increase of wages beyond II per cont
without raising the price Of coal.
'They replied that their offer had
been made contingent upon n read
justment of the government price of
coal. and that in their opinion a II
per cent increase In wages was all
that could be absorbed by the opera
tors. / made it perfectly clear to them
merits of the controversy between the
operators and the miners, and that l
was simply enforcing the law and
proposed to DO SO to the end.
Was Extent Of Talk.
This was the entire extent Of the
There was not one word
in 1t to suggest that / was proposing
any compromise settlement or adjust
>nent OF the matter.
"As for the testimony of Ogle and
others that the Presidents plan 10 not
satisfactory to the operators, I can
c My say that in every statement that
the President made upon the matter
he proposed commission to inve:ti-
gate and determine the matter In dis
pute. and that after each Statement,
was published the operators commit
tee promptly said they agreed to the
Presidents plan. On Friday. Decem-
ber s. their committee told me that
vor of arbitration of the matters in
dispute by comm ission to be ap-
pointed by the President.
Counsel Was Satisfied.
"On Sunday, December I. read the
Presidents sta a,ement to Mr.. Butler.
their counsel (not being able to get
Mr.. Ogle). and Mr.. Rutler stated that
1t was perfectly satisfactory. When
the Presidents letter and the memo.
ranoCfn DrleHy empodytng his 6u8s
gestion were published at Indianapo.
lis on the following Tuesday. Thomas
r. Brewster, chairman Of the scale
committee of the operators Of the
central competitive field. announced
at st. Louis that the proposal met
with the unqualified approval Of the
operators. and that the mines were
ready to reopen al soon a. the mon
accepted the plan and returned to
work
1.-The men have accepted the plan;
they have returned to work: produc.
tion Is now taking place on . larger
scale than in any month Of Decem.
ber for many years past. After all
this 1t would be an amaSing reputlia.
ton Of their own staten ents II the
operators do not acquiesce in the plan
which their official representatives
have repeatedly agreed to-"