The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-12-19

WAsHlNGToN, Dee. ts.--Termlna,
tion Of tho soft coal strIke was not
settlement, but Vlovtory for the gov
ernment, Attorney. General Palmer to.
gay told the senate subcommittee lnvess4
"The government has won It's fleht,a
Mr. Palmer said. "Thare was no set.
ten,ent In actualltyl the men and the
union officers have compiled with our
demands and returned TO work."
NH. Palmer said department OF JUS
tice action In the coal strike began with
tho preparation OF an injunction pro-
ceed'ng brought against officials OF the
miners union under the Lever law.
I'VE sought to prevent the strike,
ho said, by enJolnlng the union Off
GERS from carrying on the strike they
had already ordered"
you have never changed your mind
that the strike was breach Of lawP'
Senator Townsend, Republican, OF Mich
igan, inquired.
II never have" Mr.. Palmer returned,
THE injunction was issued and Ia still
In effect" He added that now the
miners are obeylng the order of the
court
"pld they always obey lt?" Senator
Townsend asked,
"rhe letter Of the court order was
cheyed, from the first, said Mr., Palmer.
But insofar as getting men actually
back to work i WAS not no successful
as we had believed"
you considered that the order was
violated. did you not?" Senator Town
send continued.
Held Order Violated.
II did. And we Instituted further
proceedings because we had some evi-
dence that the order was not being
obeyed IN good faith by some of the
union officials"
Grand jury investigation involving the
entire question, Mr. Palmer said, was
still going on Mr.. Palmer explained
the Injunction was not intended to order
men back to work but was intended
to separate the strikers from their
leaders and the union funds
Was there anything said to the de-
fendant officers Of the union which
would make them understand that no
further prosecution would be COM
nenced against them?" Senator Town.
send inquired,
Not one word" Mr.. Palmer said.
Mr.. Palmer described the opening Of
negotiations through Secretary Of Labor
Wilson between the operators and
miners In an attempt to reach settle
ment, and the Intervention OF Fuel Ad-
mlnlstrator Garfield
After n deadlock ensued In Wash
lngton" Mr. Palmer said, Or Gar
field was brought In and he told both
operators and miners that the price
OF coal could not be Increased one cent
to pay wage increases, basing his find
Ing on oalCula tions which he made, that
n wage increase Of IA per cent could
he given tho men and paid by the on-
orators without increasing tho present
price OF coal.
'Thls proposal the miners rejected
and all parties returned home
Planned for Fight.
st
Mr.. Palmer continued. "I settled down
to go through the fight to the end.
resolved to gee the injunction order
obeyed as best | could, In the hope that
production OF coal would be gradually
resumed
"On the afternoon of Dec John j.
Keegan, an employe of the department.
Of labor came TO me and said he was
convinced II John Lewis and William
Green president and secretary of the
miners union, could sit down and talk
to me, the matter could be easily set
tied
II told him I was perfectly willing
that | wouldn't invite them, but would
talk with them II they cared to come
He talked with Lewis and Green over
the telephone and told me they would
come from Indianapolis to see me
Tuesday, Dec. 2, Keegan told mo they
had started Saturday afternoon they
arrived, ! told them the governments
position would be maintained and that
no change in 1t would be permitted"
Right there" Senator Townsend in
terrupted, was DR., Garfield's plan con-
sidered?'
AT tho conference with these gem
tlemen," Mr.. Palmer continued, '1 in
formed them II the men went back to
work the presidents assurance Of
fair settlement would be carried out
They pleaded for 81 per cent advance
in wages, but l said that was not my
part Of the job.
II told them the government could
not surrender to the United Mine Work
ers and was bound to win in the end,
They left me at pm, without saying
what they were going to do, hut came
back later with Secretary Tumulty, |
then read TO them the presidents state
ment of Dec. s, and they announced
that they were ready to acqulesce in
It,"
Mr., Palmer said that between the two
meetings he talked with Fuel Admin
istrator Garfield
"is was In accord with your attempt