Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-03-24
PRICE CONTROL.
ON B|TUM|NOUS
COAL REMOVED
BY GOVERNMENT
Coal Diggers Are Awarded
Additional Pay Estimated
at S200,000,000 Annu-
ally, Effective April |.
MAJORITY REPORT OF
COMMITTEE ACCEPTED
Workers and Operators Are.
Instructed by President to.
Prepare a New WOrking|
Agreement at Once.
rav MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL Leased weF'

raw MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED weF'
Washington, March %. - Presi.
dent Wilson today withdrew gov
ernment control OF the price of
bituminous coal so that the 27 per
cent wage advance for miners rec
commended by the majority of the
coal strike settlement commission
may be absorbed in the price the
consumer will pay after April /,
The commission estimated this
wage advance at 100000
year. -
At the same time the president
made public the majority and min
urfty reports of the commission
and wrote the operators and miners
asking that they reach an agree
ment on the basis of the majority
report alone as speedily as pos
sIble so that the uncertainty re-
garding the fuel situation might be
removed.
The operators were warned by
President Wilson against violating
laws against combinations in re-
straint of trade and proflteerinS
and also not to exact unreasonable
prices for coal"
Il am aware" said the president,
that at present, as a result of the
shortage created by the coal strike
and of the consequent interference
with transportation and as a result
also of the exceptionally unfayor-
able winter, the demand for coal
continues active. l desire to i'm
press upon the coal operators the
extreme Importance not only OF
their complying to the fullest eX-
tent with the laws against COM
binations in restraint of trade ana
against profiteering, but also of
their exerting themselves afiirma-
lively to prevent eXactIng of unrea-
sonable prices for coal. am sure
Che public fully appreciates the
desirability, where practicable OF
leaving commercial transactions
untrammeled but at the same time
l am satisfied the public will flnd
ways to protect itself if such liberal
policy shall appear to result in un-
reasonably high prices.
The date of the joint conference
of operators and miners to formu-
late a new wage agreement had not
been set tonight. John l.. Lewis,
president of the United Mine Work
ers of America, while awaiting Il
conference with officers of his un-
ion on the matter said the miners
were ready and willing to partlcl-
pate in a meeting with the opera
tors.
The majority and minority re-
ports of the coal commission also
were made public at the White
House and both were included by
the president in his letter TO me
operators and miners. NotWltn-
standing the lack of unanimity In
the commissions findings, the pres
ident said it was to be assumed that
the two groups would regard the
maiority award as binding. The
minority report would be laid be-
fore them, he said, for their guild
ance in reaching an agreement.
The president in resembling con-
trol over prices restored the fuel
situation so far as bitumlnous is
concerned to the status existing
prior to November !, when the
bituminous miners went out In
nationwide strike.
The executive order, hoWeyeF,
does not affect the tidewater coal
exchange, which was re-established
February 25 and which controls eX-
port of coal.
washington, March 29,-John L.
Lewis, president of the United
Mine Workers of America, in a for
NAL statement today expressed dls-
appointment that the president
had affirmed the majority report
of the coal commission, but SAID
the miners were ready and willing
to respond to the suggestion that
they participate in joint wage
conference.
The principal difference between
the majority and minority reports
was on the matter of hours of work.