New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-03-24
Fear of Collapse of At.
tempt to Settle Strike
Prompts Action; 279o
Raise Asked for Miners
$20O,000,0O0 Pay
Cost Put ON Public
of Majority Re-
port Urged; President
Will Punish Profteers

From The 1ribunc's Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, March 90. - Con-
fronted with the possible collapse of
his entire effort at settlement of the
coal strike controversy, President Will
son to-day took extreme measures to
induce operators and miners alike to
accept the findings in the majority re-
port of his bituminous coal commits
sion.
Urging that this report, awarding a
q per cent increase in wages over what
the miners were receiving when they
called their strike last September, be
made the basis of the final adjustment,
he issued an executive order abolish
ing all government price-fxing on
coal.
The effect of this action is to permit
the operators tc pass on to the public
the $200,00o,0Oo payroll cost which the
award would involve.
The executive order goes into effect
at 1901 a. m. April l, at which time
the President proposes the new wage
scale shall go into effect under con-
tract to run two years, ending March
81, 1922.
Operators Will Accept
That the operators will accept is re-
garded as foregone conclusion. The
possibility, previously entertained, that
the government would require any
wage increase to be absorbed by the
operators out of their own pockets has
heretofore stood as an insurmounta BILE
obstacle to any agreement. AS the case
is put before them now, however, the
n per cent increase, by going into ef-
feet as substitute for the Garfield
award of Id per cent last fall, will en-
able them to pass on to the consumers
every concession forced from them by
the strike call of last September.
Although John L. Lewis, president of
the United Mine Workers, declared this
afternoon that the majority award Of
the commission was disappointing, y
he nevertheless expressed the hope
that the miners and operators would
now be able~to get together. The q
per cent award comes within per cent
of the increase which Secretary of La
Dor Wilson proposed last fall and which
the miners at that time were willing to
accept. Mr.. Lewis said:
"The affirmation of the majority re-
port of the bituminous coal commission
by the President will be keenly dis
appointing to the mine workers, ignor-
ing as it does many vital reforms for
which they ask consideration. Further
more, the majority commissioners
usurped the authority vested in them
in presuming to render decision upon
questions which were not raised by
the operators prior to the formation
of the commission and which, of con-
sequence, were not included in the
original matters of difference between
the miners and operators.
Miners Ready to Farley
Nevertheless, the miners are ready
and willing to respond to the Presi-
dents suggestion to participate in a
joint conference in the hope that a
new agreement can be established 1t
is obvious that such an agreement
should be consummated by April l."
In announcing his decision to lift the
price-tixing restrictions of the govern
ment, the President took occasion to
warn the operators that they would be
prosecuted if they profited by the ac-
ton to engage in profiteering or in
combinations in restraint of trade.
For week official circles here had
been extremely apprehensive of the
outlook, particularly when Attorney
General A. Mitchell Palmer, following
conference with the President, at
tended by Walker D. Hines, indicated
that, as result Of the commission's s
failure to reach a unanimous agree
ment, the President would throw the
whole question back on the joint wage
scale committees Of the miners and
operators, with merely suggestion
that the majority report be used as
basis of agreement.
There was no suggestion at the time
by Mr.. Palmer that the President
would lift the price-fxing supervision
of the government and thus enable the
increased wages to be passed on to the
public and there are many in official
quarters and among the operators and
miners representatives here who are
inclined to believe that the President
may have reached this decision after
his conference with the Attorney Gen.
eral.
Presidents Plea Fails
For ten days the President has had
the majority and minority findings of
Continued on page eight