Arizona republican., 1919-12-22
STAND ON COAL PLAN MAY ROB
 BOARD OF FUNCTIONS
Matter to Be Definitely De- termined at Meeting of Scale Committee Tuesday

WASHINGTON. Dec. 21-Coal oper- ! a.torS of the United States, through their executive committee, explained 1 further tonight their reasons for re- fusing to participate in the govern | ments plan for settling the bituminous coal strike. Renewing the denialS that 1 previous agreements had bround them to accept the governments plan, the ! operators asserted that while they were bound by and had agreed to ac- cept the strike settlement proposals ! made by Dr. Garfield, former fuel ad- ministrator. the government proposals l as accepted by the miners differ vii tally from those of the Garfield plan. The insistence Of the operators on their stand left open tonight the pos sibility, it was said that the commits sion named Saturday by President Wilson and given by him power to fix wages and prices of coal necessary to sustain wages, might be unable to function The executive committee did not say. however, that operators would stand aloof from the commission in it's investigation and decisions. but left the question open, to be settled probably at a meeting Tuesday in Cleveland, Ohio, where a general session of the scale committee of the central competitive field and other operators generally has been called.
 Operators Make Formal Statement hC SPCAdloi III d iOfIffdt Stc1leIHeIl tonight, said:
 Tn the light of the statement of At torney General Palmer of yesterday, in which he says that it would be an amazing repudiation of their own statements if the operators do not acquiesce in the plan which their of ficfal representatives have repeatedly agreed to, in the settlement of the strike, the bitumious coal operators feel impelled to re-state their attitude so that 1t may be clearly appreciated by the public
 Attorney General Palmer. in his statement of yesterday. asserted that the operators had agreed to the memo randum of the attorney general and John L. Lewis, acting president of the united Mine Workers of America lay ing down the terms of agreement for settlement of the coal strike The fact IS that the operators never learned of the existence of that agreement until after 1t had been presented to miners at the Indianapolis conference on De- cember l.
 The operators did accept the pro- posai of the government presented through Dr. Garfield, former fuel ad- rnlnlStrator, and referred to in Presi- dent Wilson's letter Of December G. Under the terms of this proposal the mine controversy was to be settled on the basis of the five principles an nounced by Dr. Garfield The appIica- ton of one of these principles de- termined the IA per cent advance which was granted the miners. The Garfield proposal further provided for the es- taD1shment of a board with advisory powers only
 The operators still stand by the ac- ceptance or the Garfield proposal. The presidents letter of December 6 re- lerreu specnlcally to 1t and it seemed clear to the minds of the operators that IL was the intent of the president that the Garfield proposal was to be used as basis of settlement of the wage controversy
 Never Consulted as to Memorandum.
 The operators never have been con- suited Tn regard to the memora nCllln which was drawn by the attorney gen. eral in conference with President Lewis and Secretary Green of the miners organization.
 The memorandum goes far beyond the Gartleld proposal to which they assented.
 The operators point out the follow ing radical difference between the Garfield proposal and the Palmer Lewis memorandum which was ac- cepted at Indianapolis:
 IT. The Garfield proposal would
 have established a board with ad
 visory powers only. The Palmer
 Lewis memorandum agreement
 would establish a commission, not
 advisory in character, but with
 full power definitely to fix coal
 prices, wages, differentiaIs and to
 determine the details of working
 conditions within each district
 covered by the memorandum.
 The question of differentiaIs
 and internal working conditions in
 the many bituminous coal fields,
 affected by this memorandum, are
 so involved and complicated that
 complete review, in order to
 make an intelligent decision, would
 be an interminabIe task. These
 matters are of vital importance to
 the coal industry. The diffenen-
 tfais themselves are not in dispute
 "3. Furthermore, the findings of
 the commission contemplated by
 tho Painner-LeWis memorandum
 may be made retroactive without
 limitations to time.
 There are other important differ ences between the Garfield proposal and the Palmer-Lewis memorandum which have not been made clear to the operators up to this time. The opera tors repeat that they have never agreed to the Palmer-Lewis memoyandum. and that they still stand upon their agreement to accept the terms. of the Garfield proposal. They will unite with all the we'll thinking people of the country so that in the final con- clusion in this matter all interests will be faithfully protected and served, and practicable solution of the prob lem worked out"
 Ogfe Answers Palmer. z
 Attorney General PalmNrI in his statement last night, took exception to- statements of A. M. OgM chairman of. the operators executive committee, as made before the senate Investigating committee Friday. Mir. Palmer said newspaper reports credited Ogle with declaring that the attorney general had proposed a surrender" This, Mir. Palmer said, was false.
 Mir. Ogle tonight responded to the. attorney generals remark by referring to the transcript of the committee session. That document. it was point ed out, showed that the conversation mentioned took place before any pro- posal had been made by the govern Ca.xio,c s.o.......I-e.