The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1920-01-28
.JER PREMISES 70
SHIELD COAL MINERS
Will Compel Coal Owners, he
Says, to Live Up to indian.
apoIis Agreement


Palmer to-day assured officers OF
the United Mine Workers Of Ameri-
CO at conference that coal opera
tors will be compelled to carry out
the Indianapolis agreement with re-
gard to the status of miners who
went on strike Nov. 1. The assur-
ances were given in the course of a
conference which lasted for several
hours between the Attorney General
and his assistant, Charles P. Ames,
with leaders of the United Mine
workers.
John l.. Lewis, Acting President;
William Green, Secretary ]. r Ken
manner, Francis Drum and Robert
Harlin, representing miners in Ala
bama, Maryland and Washington re-
spetively, were present, They told
the Attorney General that approx
mately 1000 miners active in the
miners organization have either
been discharged By the operators or
have been refused reinstatement ia
their former positions as agreed to
. at Indianapolis.
Mr.. Lewis said that in all cases
they were men who have been either
officers in local uricz. or were most
active in the affairs of the locals.
Lewis said the injunction issued By
the United States Court did not af-
feet the operators, but that he be-
neved they could be brought to
time by the provisions of the Lever
law, which reaches all persons who
act to prevent or curtail production,
"The operators in these cases."
said Lewis, "are trying to take ad-
vantage of the present unsettled con-
ditions to crush the unions"
Mr.. Palmer said that immediate
action would be taken to prevent
such practices as those reported by
the mine workers. officials.
Mr.. Lewis said tonight that the
practices reported to the Attorney
General to-day have already been
fnission' ffnnsa . the f''''''''' ''''
he Attorney General also took
he challenge by Senator Freling-
ben (Rep., N. J.), who declared
tnat "already the public is having
toisted upon it the IA per cent, wage
increase given to the miners"
at is true" Mr. Palmer said in a
statement, "that in some sections of
the country a greater price Is being
charged for coal than that fixed by
the Fuel Administration, but have
no information that the IA per cent.
has been anywhere added. Where
the price is greater than the Fuel
Administration price it is caused by
the fact that the operator alleges
that the coal was bought on contract
before Oct. 81, 1919, which con-
tract coal was expressly excepted
from the Government prict by an
order issued by DR.. Garfield on Nov.
12, 1919"
Representatives of operators now
In Washington are again complain
ing that during the coal shortage
they were in many cases deprived of
the privilege granted by the excep-
tions allowed in the Garfield order
of Nov. 12 in cases where coal was
commandered and diverted by the
Railroad Administration.
They have been told that they will
be paid only the Government price
for such commandeered or diverted
coal. They claim that only small
amount of the contract coal was de-
livered to the consignee for whom 1t
was intended and that most Of this
coal will be paid for by the Govern-
ment at the fixed price OF $2.s5.
with possible demurrage charges to
the operators.