The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-01-13
OPERATORS
To ACCEPT
FINDINGS
Coal Diggers Signify That
They Will Take Commis-
sion's Rulings, With Reser-
vation-Won't Fix Prices.
ASK AWARD CONTRACT
(By Associated Press,

WASHINGTON, Jan. 13.-Mine op-
orators in the central competitive field
today told the commission named to
settle the bituminous coal strike that
they would accept with a single res
ervation any award which the COM
mission might make
The operators said they would not
be party to the fixing OF prices be-
yond the period of effectiveness of
the Lever law. the wartime measure
under which the government has con-
trolled food and fuel prices.
Ralph Crews, counsel for the central
operators, explained that without MAX
ing this reservation the operators
could not legally join any price fixing
agreement.
He also said the operators would
not make their acceptance of the COM
missions award contingent upon the
preparation of answers to series of
questions which the operators yester-
day asked the commission.
In accepting the commissions
authorization, the operators, Mr..
Crews said, understood that the COM
missions award should "of itself con-
stitute a final contract between the
miners and the operators for the per-
iod of time fixed by the commission"
Can Only Be Basis.
President Robinson reminded him
that President Wilson's letter Great
ing the commission authorized it only
to an award which might be used as
"a basis for a wage contract" He
asked if the operators would not mod
| ify the language in their acceptance
| accordingly, and Mr.. Crews finally
agreed that the commission should de-
termine that point.
THE miners agree that the award
| shall be basis for new wage agree
ment and not of itself an agreement"
said John L. Lewis, acting president
of the mine workers. Il trust the
record is not being made here which
can be used subsequently as basis
for refusal by the operators to write
into a wage agreement the commits
sion's award" -t
| President Robinson's and Mr. Crews
stipulations that the commission
/ should have the power to determine
1 what the procedure should be, have
cleared up to this point.
Miners representatives took before
the commission, their full demands as
originally made and refused by the
operators before the calling Of the
coal strike last November.
Acting President Lewis recited de-
mands for an increase of so per cent
in wages, the six hour work day and
FIVE day week, for the abolishing of
double shifts and for the considera-
| tion by districts of internal differences
and defended each of them.
"Conditions Always too Low"
"The living conditions and the So
cial conditions of the miners, the en-
vironment in which he has been COM
PEELED to raise his family have ever
been too low" he said.
1.-The efficiency and health of mine
workers" he declared, required
shorter hours, and he added that the
miners would endeavor to show the
commission that the average bitumin-
Gus coal mine did not work more than
80 hours a week in any case.
"These demands were not put up
by us as mere pretense on which to
trade" he said.
Requests Are Considered.
The operators submitted a list of 10
questions concerning points on which
they desired additional light and
these were before the commission to
day, having been taken under advise
ment for a reply later. Mr.. Brewste,
woald not say whether the attitude to
Se ASHAMED by the operators would de-
pend on the nature of this reply but
later a subcommittee of operators
was named to draft a statement for
submission to the commission prob
ably today.
Information asked by the operators
was whether the commission expect
ed its findings to be binding on both
parties, how its awards would be en-
forced, whether 1t considered it had
: power to adjust wages either upward
or downward, whether 1t would de-
termine coal mining costs, whether
; coal prices fixed to sustain its awards
. would be made to expire simultane
ously with the Lever act and whether
!. it proposed to provide for use oi
: modern machinery to lower the cost
of digging coal.