Arizona republican., 1920-03-24
|GOvT. CON I ROL |OF GOAL PRICES '|S REL|N0U|sHED
President Warns Against Profiteering-Expect Coal Prices to Absorb Wage Increases To Be Given By Commission
IRepubIican A. P. Leased wire]

lHepuollCanA A. F. Leased Wfrel
 WASHINGTON, March 23.-With a warning against profiteering, President Wilson today ordered abandonment of government control over bituminous coal prices and asked miners and oper- ators to negotiate 8 new working agreement on the basis of the majority report of the coal strike settlement commission
 The president ordered termination of price control on April 1, when the new working agreement would become ef- fective. This will permit at least par tial absorption of the coal price in in crease in miners wages, established at ity report The increase in wages. the commission estimated, will entail an added annual cost of $200,000,0oO and includes the IA per cent awarded the miners in settling the recent strike.
 The operators. however, were re- minded by the president that unrea- sonable prices must not result from relinquishment of price control and the addition of increased wages to their ex- penses.
 The date of the joint conference of operators and miners to formulate a new wage agreement had not been set tonight. John l.. Lewis. president of the United Mine Workers of America, while awaiting conference with of ficers of his union on the matter, said the miners were ready and willing to participate in a meeting with the oper- ators. The majority and minority re- ports of the coal commission also were made public at the White House and yyo r,r 10 ci dr r. his letter to the operators and miners. Notwithstanding the lack of unanimity in the commissions findings, the presi- dent said it was to be assumed that the two groups would regard the majority award as binding. The minority report would be laid before them, he said, for their guidance in reaching an agree ment.
 The Reports Summed Up
 The outstanding features of. the ma jority and minority reports are:
 The majority report of the commis- sion held the 27 per cent increase should absorb the 14 per cent increase allowed when the miners returned to work. and that in dollars it would ap- proximate $200, 100000 a year.
 In refpsing the demand of the miners for a thirtyhour week, the majority of the commission said that if the work day were shortened by one hour it would amount to an additional cost or $i00.000.000 annually.
 The minority report of John F. White. the miners representative, held out for a higher increase for all day labor and monthly men than was granted by the majority. but he con- cured in the recommendation for "A per cent per ton increase on pick and machine mining. His report was trans rnitted to the operators and miners by the president for their information.
 The general terms of the two re- ports had previously been published.
 The president. in resembling control over prices. restored the fuel situation, so far as bituminous is concerned, to the status existing prior to November l. when the bituminous miners went out, in nation wide strike.
 The executive order. however, does not affect the tidewater coal exchange. which was e-established February 2o and which controls export or coal.