Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 73, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 December 1919 — COAL STRIKE PROBABLY ENDED [ARTICLE]

COAL STRIKE PROBABLY ENDED

Conference ol Mine Heads Yesterday Expected to Accept Terms. TERMS ARE NOT MADE PUBLIC Until Presented at Meeting of Miners' Officials Held in Indianapolis Yesterday. . x . _.X An agreement was reached between the national heads of the striking miners Saturday night at a conference held In Washington by which It was agreed by President Lewis and Secretary Green of the national miners' union to call a conference of the sub-officers in Indianapolis yesterday and present the terms of the agreement and urge its acceptance, in which event the strike would be ended at once and mining would be resumed in all parts of the country at once. Hope for the settlement Tuesday afternoon of the “controversy between the miners, the operators and the government’’ whs expressed In a formal statement Issued Monday at the White House. The statement follows: "It is hoped that there will be a settlement on Tuesday afternoon

of the controversy between the miners, the operators and the government through the acceptance of the miners of the plan for a definite settlement proposed by the president, which proposal was submitted to acting President Lewis of the miners by Attorney-General Palmer Saturdaf night.’’ . Mr. Palmeros statement issued early Sunday morning follows: "A conference was held at the department of justice In Washington on Saturday, at which were present the attorney-general, Mr. Tumulty, secretary to the president; John L. Lewis, acting president, and William Green,, secretary-treasurer of the United Mine Workers of America, with a view to reaching an understanding between the government and the miners which would result in a settlement of the coal strike situation. “At this conference there was submitted a definite, concrete proposition from the 'president looking to a speedy termination of the strike situation And an adjustment of the entire controversy. The officers of the United Mine Workers, In response to the suggestion of the president, agreed to and have called a meeting of the genral scale comjnlttee, the representatives of all the district organizations and the International executive board of the United Mine Workers, to be held in Indianapolis Tuesday, Dec. 9, at which time the president’s proposal will be considered and its acceptance by the miners urged, by Mr. Lewis and Mr. Green. The attorney-gen-eral will be ip Indianapolis Tuesday.” Attorney-General Palmer and Assistant Attorney-General Ames had gone to Indianapolis, as had Acting President Lewis and SecretaryTreasurer Green Mine Workers. It was the understanding at the department of justice that the attorney-general would confer with Judge A. B. Anderson prior to the meeting of the executive board of the United Mine Workers of America, which has been called for tomorrow. It also is assumed that the attorney-general will hold himself in readiness to attend the meeting of the executive board of the miners if the members of that board desire to hear from him as the representative of President Wilson. The refusal of those government officials who are -acquainted with the proposed terms of settlement to reveal those terms is the result of an agreement which the government, entered into with Lewis and Green Saturday ni*ht, not to make public the terms of settlement iprior to their submission to the executive board of the mine workers. •All the information obtainable leads to the belief that the proposed settlement does not open the way for any increase in the price of coal to consumers. It is generally believed, in the absence of any official statement, that the minerk are to • return to work at a minimum increase of ( 14 per cent in their wages and that President Wilson is to appoint a federal tribunal to study and report on all the questions that have grown out of the miners’ strike with a view to doing exact justice to the mfners, the operators and the public. The terms of settlement that were submitted to Lewis and Green by the attorney-general were in writing and bore the signature of President Wilson. The representatives of the miners agreed to consider them because they came directly from the president of the United States, who appealed to Lewis and Green to co-operate with him in preventing a nation-wide calamity.