Evening star., 1919-11-12

Harry Garfield. fuel administrators,
said they needed It to meet the cost
of living. That was more than a year
ago. And the cost of living has in
creased. But here the government
steps in to say that it cannot increase
the cycle. 1t will try to reduce the
cost of living rather than sanction in
creases in wages.
The situation with respect to the
coal miners is in this respect the same
as the railroad men, who have been
held in check by the governments
promises to reduce the cost of living.
Fourth. The coal miners saw the
fuel administration come to an end ::
they saw operators abolishing work.
lngmen's committees; they saw the
National War Labor Board dissolved:
they saw the industrial conference in
Washington and other steps between
capital and labor all proceeding on
the theory that the war had ended:
they saw the price of coal go up to
the consumer beyond the maximum
price fixed by the coal administration.
and they saw the war end so far as
the operators were concerned-an re-
strtctionS as to their distribution and
price being removed-and they there
fore insisted that the war was ended
so far as coal miners were concerned,
too. And they sought new contracts.
Fuel Administration Revived.
Now the fuel administration has
leen revived and a maximum price
for ccal is fixed. The Wilson admin
istration will always ,be blamed by
the miners for permitting restrictions
to be removed that affected the coal
operators and then insisting that the
Lever law wartime conditions were
still in effect. But that is past now.
The miners reluctantly rescinded
the strike order and obeyed the in
junction of a federal court. Now they
are wondering whether the same hand
that compelled them to obey the man
dates of justice on the one hand Will
enable them to get new wage con-
tract the moment the government
does decide that the war is officially
at an end.
The Department of Justice has
asked for an extension of the Lever
law. Possibly if the government
continues it's regulation of the price
OF coal a semblance OF wartime con-
ditions will be maintained, sufficient
at any rate to impress the coal miner
that the Washington administrati ton
is not discriminating against him.
Secretary Wilson's Opportunity.
Fortunately the government had
available 2 man like William B. Will
son, Secretary of Labor. who will pre-
side at the conference. He has the
of both sides. He won his
reputation for fairness when as a
walking delegate years ago in the
coal fields of Hennsylvania he nego-
tiated agreements on behalf of the
miners He knows the coal controversy
from "a. to e. and his early af1ilia-
tions not only will not prevent him
from seeing both sides fairly. but will
enable him to urge upon his former
associates the acceptance of condi-
tons that seem to him reasonable and
just. To all intents mad purposes
Secretary Wilson represents the whole
government. for President Wilson
imposes faith in his judgment and
ability.
Will Test His Skill.
The skill of Secretary Wilson, who
has been a factor. in the settling of
many disputes which the public hears
very little about because they are
local or sectional, will be tested to the
utmost when. the miners and operators
get together on Friday. But the gov
ernmeft rs determined that there Shall
be settlement, and that all the moral
force at it's command shall be used to
make operators and miners see that
both must agree to remove the causes
OF perennial friction and discomfort in
the. coal fields of America.
Copyright 1819.j