Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-11-30
GOVERNMENT IS
MARKING Time
IN COAL STRIKE
Awaiting Outcome Of Attempts
Of Operators to Induce Min
ers to Return to Work for
14'Per Cent Advance.

Washington, Nov. 2o.-Develop-
ments in the governments efforts
to insure an adequate fuel supply
for the country awaited tonight the
outcome of attempts of soft coal
operators to induce miners to re-
turn to work for a wage advance OF
IA per cent and assurances of fed
eraf protection
Notices of this Nage advance sug-
gested by Fuel Administrator Gar
field were posted at the mines. Re-
sumption of work it might produce
was rot expected until next week,
at the beginning of the second
month. of the strike, which tech
nically was called off November II.
Operators here expected Monday
to see many of the miners in dis
tricts not in the central competitive
territory back at work. 1
Standing firm on their announced
intention to spare neither operators
nor miners who interefered with the
restoration Of production to normal
Dr.. Garfield and Attorney General
Palmer awaited developments in the
mining centers. 1t was indicated no
further steps by national authorities
were contemplated while state and
local officials handled the situation
satisfactorily.
- Garfield's Statement.
Assurance that the government
would not tolerate any attempt TO
DESTROY trade unions or the prin-
ciple Of collective bargaining on the
part of the employing interests
wishing to take advantage OF the
present situation" was given today
by DR.. Garfield, before leaving for
William stown, Mass, where he will
spend the weekend.
Report has come to me that the
present crisis in the coal industry
will be used to break down the labor
unions" DR.. Garfield said. Il wish
to say that / am as much opposed
TO an attempt to destroy the princl-
pie of collective bargaining and the
union of working men as am to the
effort of labor leaders to keep labor
satisfied by a constant boosting OF
wages, regardless of the-pubiic inter-
est. or to the effort of leaders in the
industrial world to boost profits I'M
duly to the hurting OF the public,
"Any attempt to complieate the
issue at this time by seeking to de-
stroy the union of the mine workers
or the principle of collective bar
gaining will be resented by the pub
lie and opposed by me-"
Production Half Normal.
Official statistics showed produce
ton to be approaching 50 per cent
OF normal al the end of the first
month of the strike, as compared
with % per cent during the. first week
and 50 per cent the second week:
The weekly report of the United
States geological survey today
showed that A $40 per cent of nor
NAL was produced during the third
week.
Dr.. Garfield also issued today an
analysis of the figures on which he
based his conclusion for a IA per
cent wage advance. Explaining
wherein he differed with Secretary
Wilson, he called attention to the
"fact that the principle sinvolved is
of far greater Importance than the
figures arrived at"
"The principle applied in arriving
at IA per cent is different in kind
and character from that applied in
arriving at 31.6l per cent and hence
any attempt to average the two or
to compromise the results is impos-
sible," DR.. Garfield said.
NToo Large An Advance.
A wage advance of 3l.6l per cent
as suggested by Secretary Wilson
would give a total advance since
1918 of 1914 per cent, as compared
with maximum advance Of 70 per
cent in living costs, he added.
miners are paid by the ton," ne
said. "Other mine workers are paid
BY the day. The day iaborers gen.
orally have received advances OF
wages since 1918 equal to and, in
some instances, in excess Of the in
crease in the cost of living.
The proposition that general in
crease of 31.6l per cent be given
is simply a proposition to give to
all mine labor the percentage OF in
crease required to bring the class,
of labor that has received the low
est per cent up to the present level
of living costs even though that ad-
vances the other group far above
the amount necessary.
Long on Statistics.
DR.. Garfield pointed out that sta