The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1920-01-09
coal men BAlkON
PRESIDENTS PLAN
OPERATORS EXPLAIN THEIR At.
TlTUDE ON SETTLEMENT or
MINE STRIKE TROUBLE
IGNORANCE IS PROGRESSED
Employers Insist They Never Agreed
to Anything but Garfield Plan,
Which They Insist Is Different
From New Scheme

Washington Dec. o..,.-COal opera.
tors Of the United States. through their
executive committee. explained last
night their reasons for refusing to par
ticipate in the governments plan for
settlement of the bitumnous coal
strike.
Renewing the denialS that previous
the governments plan. the operators
asserted that while they We're bound
by and had agreed to accept strike
settlement proposals made by DR.
Harry A. Garfield. former fuel admin
i>trator. the proposals as accepted by
the miners differ vitality from those of
the Garfield plan.
The inSi>tence of the operators on
their stand left open last night the
possibility. it was held. that the com
mission 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 commits
sion in its investigation and decision.
but left the question to be settled
probably at Il meeting which convenes
tomorrow in Cleveland. Ohio. of the
scale committee of the central competi.
tive field and other operators generally
has been called.
The operators in formal statement
last night said:
I'm the light of the statement of At
tOrney General Palmer of yesterday
in which he says that it would he an
amazing Reputation of their own
statements if the operators do not
acQuiesce in the plan which their Of
fetal representatives have repeatedly
agreed to in the settlement of the coal
strike. the bituminou> coal operators
feel compelled to state their attitude
so it may be clearly appreciated by
the public.
attorney General Palmer. in his
statement of yesterday. asserted that
the operators had agreed to the men,
Orandum 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 agree
ment until after it had been present.
ed to miners at the Indianapolis confer
ence of December l.
"The operators did accept the pro-
pOsal of the government. presented
through DR.. Garfield. former fuel adj
ministrator. and referred to in Presi-
dent Wilson's letter of December &.
Under the terms of this proposal the
mine controversy was TO he settled on
the basis of the five principles an
nounced by DIR. Garfield. The appli-
cation of one of these principles de-
termined the ii per cent advance
which WAS granted the miners. The
Garfield proposal further provided for
the establishment of Il board with ad-
visory powers only.
1.-THE operators will stand by the ac-
ceptance of the Garfield proposal.
The presidents letter of December 6
ed clear to the minds of the operators
that it was the intent "f the president
that the Garfield proposal WAS IN be
used as the basis of the settlement Of
the wage controversy.
1.-THE operators never have been
consulted in regard to the memoran-
dun which was drawn by the attor-
npy general in conference with ireSi
dent Lewis and Secretary Green of
the miners organization.
THE operators repeat that they have
not agreed to the falmerLewiS MEM
oran,lum and that they Will stand upon
their agreement tn accept the terms of
the Garfield proposal. They will unite
with all the well-thinkng people of
the country SO that in The final con-
will he faithfully protected and Serv-
ell. and practicable solution of the
problem worked out.
Attorney General Palmer. in his
statement Saturda. night. look exceN-
ton to statements of \. NJ. hgle. chair
man Of the operators executive com
mitrpe a> made before the senate in
ves,igating committee Friday. Mr..
Palmer said newspaper reports credit
cd Ogle with declaring that The artor-
ney general had proposed a "Surren-
der" This Mr.. Palmer said, was un-
true.