The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, November 29, 1919, Image 1
TVATCHU&X, Estab j
[S?lidated Aug. 2,1
?WAYMEN
foods and Director Gen-f
lesj&gree on Wages
^and Time
HOHRS DECIDED
AS BASIS OF DAY
i>id Not Gain All Their j
But Concessions are j
t&i'?.?Nov. 24.?A new wage ;
agreement was signed;
between the railroad ad- j
and officials of the!
of ' Maintenance Of |
)yees and Railway Shop
demands of the un
?t folly met, the eight hour
'vjas establishel for track
nd others of that classifica
time and a half pay after;
/afes ^provided. Most of the '
tployees included under the i
will.receive time and a!
ir time pay after ten hours, j
of the new contract by Di- i
Kings. , ended negotiations]'
have been in progress since
-aary: Approximately 400,000 men
tected, railroad administration
estimated. The contract also
it shall be applicable!
period of federal control
unless notice of 3G days'
its cancellation,
lly" an announcement by ,
says, "the new contract,
te for regular section
other employees in this'
ion except laborers in extra
gangs whose employment
rse4isonal and temporary in charac
ra^d" certain employees whose po
Jons do not require continuous ?
anjLtal labor will be paid on the
.sis'-of ,tiine and one-half after the!
gEfet hour of continuous service ex-'
^>f the meal period, thus ap- i
|?ijgfitbe:same "principle which v: a s j
itai^i?thed * last, year for important,'
i?se& of railroad workers. Hereto-'
re! such maintenance employees1
^ ^-jy^av-time at pro^rata'
^he^.nmth and tenth hour i
' and one-half after the tenth ;
Under the agreement laborers i
. es.ira or floating gangs whose era-;
pyii?ejit is seasonal or temporary inj
aroter' will be paid overtime at a;
Orata rate for the ninth and tenth!
?ur and time and one-half after the j
ith-."hour, whereas employees hold- i
r positions not requiring continu- j
s manual labor suchv as track;
sg^and highway crossing watch- j
3n, signalmen at railway non-inter- j
jking crossings, lampmen. engine i
;hmen at isolated points, and j
will continue to be paid for J
?ent hours of work a monthly j
pial to their- present pay.
?and, Nov. 24.?General chair
fcbe four great railroad broth
engineers, firemen, trainmen
tors, 500 in number, called
tweeting by the four broth
to consider Director
kesf offer of time and a
nme in slow freight ser
conference today with
&ussiJ>n of the director !
>sition\ and organization !
ention occupied most of i
for more derails regard-!
[ral features of /the proposal \
>mitted to Mr/' Hines and ai
>ived and submitted to the:
< ? / i
kjMEpected tile convention will ,
reply to the director general'
tnesday.
TOFFICE ROBBED
$,300 in Victory Bonds Are
Taken at Hampton
Hartpton. Nov. 24.?The posiotfice. ,
it/a on the first floor of the Guar
building, was forcibly entered I
itime during last night by un- j
[wn parties, the safe blown open,!
in addition to the cash and;
ps in it, a registered package
>m the Federal Reserve Bank at
ichmond to the Bank of Hampton, j
itaining $5,300 in Victory bonds,
taken. No clue to the robbers
been obtained.
PANT KING AGAIN
tdapest Sees Beginning
Royalist Agitation
Of
ipest. Nov. 20.?Posters ce
ig the restoration of the roy
is on public buildings and de
the proclamation of the Hun
republic unlawful, appeared in
over night. It is generally
^d that the posters n ark the
of the royalist party's elec
tpaign.
ERS
PPRESSED
rov. !>6.?There is wide
fpression of Sinn Fein and
tizatiori^s in Ireland by the
fcked April, 18S0.
381. SU
COAL STRIKE IS
BEFORE CABINET!
President's Advisors Are Pead-!
locked On Great Industrial
/ Problem
NO AGREEMENT REACH
ED ON WAGE SCALE
Six Hour Session Held Without
Reaching Any Kind of Decis
ion
Washington, Nov. 25.?Like the
miners and operators whose troubles
it was trying to adjust. President Wil
son's cabinet tonight seemed hopeless
ly deadlocked on the question of a
wage increase in the bituminous coal
industry.
After a six hour session the cabinet
which took up the wage scale agree
ment where operators and miners left
off last week, adjourned until tomor
row when another attempt with the
aid of Fuel Administrator Garfield,
will be made to agree upon a pay
scale that will satisfy the mine work
era and owners and the people in all
sections of the country who are clam
oring for normal production of coal.
The proper basis of calculating the
proposed wage advance, and the ratio
of dividing the consequent increase
in cost of production of coal between
the operator and the public, are un
derstood to have been the points of
difference among the cabinet mem
bers. Dr. Garfield, who took a lead
ing part in the discussions, took issue
with Secretary of Labor Wilson as to
the method of applying the figures ac
cepted by both.
No statement was forthcoming af
ter the meeting except an announce
ment by Dr. Garfield that the cabi
net would meet again tomorrow and
that he would.not see either the min
ers or operators meanwhile. He de
clined to say whether progress had
been made but one member oil the
cabinet declared prospects of an
agreement were "not hopeless."
Secretary Wilson's estimate that
the cost of living has increased 79 j
per "cent over 191T was accepted^ it'l
was understood but a difference of
opinion arose as to the application of
this and other figures in computing
an increase in wages.
Secretary Glass said tonight ths
he might have "some very interest^
figures" tomorrow, emphasizing tl
they had been compiled for the u
and not for the cabinet. He d?Bned]
to say whether they were the mcome|
tax returns received by the treasury
department on excess profits from the
coal industry. Significance was at
tached to this announcement in view
of the fact that the amount of profit
made by the coal companies during
the last two years, and the percent
age of increase in any possible wage
advance which the operators might be
asked to bear, have teen the most
bitterly disputed points in the contro
versy.
The statement of former Secretary
of the Treasury McAdoo charging that
some coal concerns made enormous
profits during his incumbency came
in for discussion at the cabinet meet
ing, it was learned, but no one would
say what form the discussion took.
The Lever food control act was not
mentioned at the meeting, it was said.
Owing to the itme consumed on other
matters, it was not believed that the
cabinet discussed methods of enforc
ing its decision in case a verdict
should not be acceptable to workers
or mine owners.
Director General Hines attended the
session but declined to say what took
place.
Before the meeting this morning.
Attorney General Palmer said that if
the figures as to operators' profits
given yesterday by Mr. McAdoo were
correct it was not likely l>r. Garfield
would permit an increased price for
coal.
In a statement bearing on this is
sue, the operators said "that condi
tions in 1917 were abnormal." but
that as Mr. McAdoo was "ignorant"
of conditions in 1918 and 1919 his
message "carries no. weight and re
quires no answer."
The operators said they welcomed
an investigation of current tax re
turns, and that they had been urging
a board of arbitration or a tribunal of
investigation but that the miners re
fused to agree to it.
The subscale committee held a per
functory meeting today, at which Dr.
Garncld's statement of principles was
discussed. Pending word from the
cabinet, adjournment was taken until
tomorrow.
Neither operators nor miners were
hopeful tonight of a settlement before
next week. While the subscale com
mittee plans to remain in session, ad
journing from day to day. many op
orators have arranged to spend
Thanksgiving day at their homes.
Charging ?hat Secretary McAdoo
has been "studiously malicious" Geo.
H. Gushing, manging director of the
American Wholesale Coal association,
in a stab ment tonight explained that
the 2.000 per cent of which the form
er secretary complained was not fig
ured <?n either volume of business or
capital stock. This percentage, he
said, was made in the case of aban
doned mines worked on a cooperative
basis, where the only capital consist
ed of '.ools and supplies.
In connection with Dr. Garfield's
od Fear not?Let all the en dl Thon Ali
MTER, S. G., SATURDi
ALLIES ASK FOR
LONGER TIME
Payment of Interest on War
Loans By U. S. Are to
Be Deferred
GREAT BRITAIN ALSO
GRANTS MORE TIME
Three Years' Extension is the:
Period of Financial Indul-|
srerice . i
London. Xov. 25.?rThe plan under j
discussion by the British and Ameri- j
can governments under which the'
payment of interest on advances by
Great Britain and the United States
to the allies during the war and also
on advances by the United States to
Great Britain, would be postponed
for three years was announced in the
'house of commons today by Austin
Chamberlain, chancellor of the ex
chequer.
COMMITTEE NOM
INATES GRACE
Charleston Election Muddle Re
mains Unsettled
-
Charleston. Nov. 25.?The city
Democratic Executive committe to
night on a majority vote of 13 again
declared John P. Grace mayoralty
nominee of the city Democratic party
after 77 challenged votes had been
considered as well as the mutilated
ballots in question. The Hyde fac
tion committeemen took the position
that the proceedings were not legal
and either voted against motions lead
ing to the resulting declaration or
did not vote .at all. On the final ques
tion the Hyde committeemen did not'
rise on a call for a rising- vote for or
against, a motion declaring Mr. Grace
the nominee. , *...
Testimony now in the court rec
ords was that considered tonight on
the challenged votes being rcykt-froju
a printed cf?Y'y^^l^c "supreme 'col Trt
proceedings by John 1. Cosgrovc. A
vote was taken on each challenged
"or the most part the Hyde
udid not vote on these cases,
result gave Grace 26 and
of the counted challenged
IS were rejected. Two were
ther candidate, which gave
Lmajority of 14 votes. As to
ilated ballots affidavits in the
were read and the bal
jtion rejected.
the committee to
il ter the mayoralty to
rity for Grace found at
iass of the primary
22 '
fall, spokesman for
fered a motion that
challenged ballots
id- in full with wit
that candidates be
yy counsel and steno
graphic notes of the proceedings be
taken. His motion was tabled, but
Chairman Logan suggested that three
lawyers present as Hyde committee
men serve as Hyde counsel. They
declined to act. A stenographer was
appointed and took the proceedings
down in shorthand. ?
Mr. Cosgrove's motion that the com
mittee consider as a whole the testi
mony as to challenged votes as sub
mitted in the court records from
proceedings of the sub-committee on
canvass prevailed. This evidence was
also utilized to determine for whom
the counted challenged votes were
cast, after Mr. Grimbal's motion to
table was lost.
The purpose of the meeting to
night was announced by Mr. Cosgrove
to be to arrive at a decision as to the
mayoralty nominee according to the
rulings of the supreme court. It is!
probable, the supreme court will be
asked by the Hyde faction to pass up
on the legality of tonight's proceed
ings.
Early this evening Mayor Hyde
s.iid "I am prepared at this time to
make no statement whatsoever as to
the local poiitical situation.
FIGHTING IN CAIRO
British Officers Killed and Sol
diers Shot
Cairo. Sunday. Xov. 2o.?A British'
officer was murdered during a street]
riot here last night. Other British;
soldiers were tired upon by the dem- j
onstrators, one soldier being wound.
ed. !
committee yesterday that the opera- j
tors could not expect the profits al
lowed during the war, iL was recalled j
tonight thai Rembrandt Peale. oper-i
ator. and .lohn White, miner repre
sentative, coal experts of the fuel ad-!
ministration, in their final report to
1 >r. Garfield, concurred in a state-'
ment that it would have been possibw<
for operators to pay an increase]
in wages out of the established coal
price without raising the prices to the'
consumer.
Mr. Pearle and Mr. Whit?- pointed
out that operators generally had been
paying bonuses and other forms of;
increased compensation above the es-1
tablished wage scale in order to get j
miners to turn out coal to meet tht-j
big J^d^U
mtt k be Lij Countrr'* inj God't m
\Y, NOVEMBER 29, 19]
RUSSIAN RED
GAINGRO
Denekine's Army Forced to Re-}
treat in Southwestern
Russia
TEN TOWNS REPORTED
CAPTURED THIS WEEKj
Admiral Kolchak's Forces in
Siberia Also Said to Be Re
treating
London, Nov. 26.?Gen. Denikine'sj
army in southern Russia is retreating j
i and the Bolsheviki have captured ten j
towns in three days, according to a j
Moscow wireless dispatch. The Bol- ?
sheviki troops are entering Ukraine, j
where they intend to stay, the dispatch j
says. !
Admiral Kolchak's forces in cen- j
tral Siberia are also retiring rapidly, j
according to the dispatch and the j
Reds have reached a point 9GO milel
east of Omsk.
COLD WEATHER
SEES DISTRESS!
Scarcity o? Coal in Northern !
States Acutely Felt
Washington, Xov. 23.?With lesa
than 40 per cent, of the normal out-1
put of bituminous coal being pro
duced, the , nation is facing its most
serious perioc since the strike of soft
coal miners, was ordered, according
to reports received today by the rail
road administration. In "scores of
cities the number of industries in op
eration is rapidly falling while the
nation's coal bin continues to di
minish.
Officials held out only a ray of hope
for increased production. While last
week's production showed an in
crease over the previous week and in
dications were for a production of
about 50 per cent of normal this
week officials said they could not ex
pect sufficient production to check
the drain on the national supply un
til all differences between the miners
and operators are ironed out by the
fonfewince. here.
Meamvhlle temperatures in the
j northern half of the nation' have
j dropped and the cry for coal for
j household purposes grows louder. So
far, the supplies have been dealt out
rather liberally to meet this demand,
it was said, but further releases of
coal must be limited if the' nation is
not to face a serious tieup of industry
j as well as transportation before nor
I mal production is again reached,
j Ranks of the scfe coal miners -while
j showing some IJ^Kp in men returning
j to work, still hfljffrm, reports show
i ed. in some districts, it was said, m^n
j have gone back to their jobs in large
! numbers but in many mining areas
! the union ties have continued to keep
j the mines closed.
Reviewing the coal supply, situation
j the railroad administration reported
that 22.000,000 tons were held under
! its distributing system on November
j 2, the second day of the walkout.
! Since then these stocks together with
; current production have been drawn
j cn to su pply fuel for the railroads,
i ships, public utilities, essential indus- j
j tries and public welfare institutions;
I as well as for household uses,
j The railroad administrtion's cen- j
j tral coal committe still is holding:
I the thousands of ears of export coal
i assembled at A tlantie tidewater
j ports. Officials declared that, con
Itrary to reports condit ions were nor
! mal at the ports where; this reserve
! supply, of coal is held anjji that no car {
j congestion was being^ejaittecL
Describing the ^'vji
I duction, the railroad ftion's
statement said: ??"
I "In the rirsfwek of
[ "In he first week ol
! coal loaded ?aily was 9;
j cent of tb/* pre-strike average; in j
! the second week loading was at the;
j rate o^JUGOS cars, or 30 per cent, of]
j the/*lormal rate, a gain over the hrst;
! w?ek of 14 per cent. Last week, the:
! third of the strike production steai-j
ily increased and reached nearly 10;
j per cent, of normal. The present!
I week promises so far a still better j
1 showing.
j "Production now is mainly in r'sej
I East, in the South and in the Rocky ?
I Mountain region. In the central States'
where bituminous coal is so largely j
used, there is little or no present out - j
put. The railroads have the difficulty
: and unusual task of moving west a
large part of the production of such
fields as the Pocahontas and Pennsyl
vania fields that normally moves east.
The 22.000,000 tons, the railroad had
on November 1 was as evenly divided
as possible over the contry but m
the sections where there had been no
production, supplies have become de- j
pleted and coal from the eastern pro
ducing fields has been and is being
sent west to fill these needs."
ADMIRAL MILLO
*~ -HAS RESIGNED
Italian Commander Goes Over
to D'Annunzio
Rome. Nov. 26.?Rear Admiral Mil-{
lo. who acted as governor of Dalma-;
tia as well as commander of the oc- .
eupation forces in that country ha1
resigned his former office. Admiral
Millo recently swore allegiance to
THE TRUE
mS HAND
IN COAL CRISIS
President's Cabinet Will Con-!
sider the Strike Situation
Today
DECISIONS ON POLICY
MAY BE EXPECTED
President Wilson Believed to
Have Definite Idea on the
Subject
Washington, No. 24.?Settlement of
the controversy over a new wage
agreement in the^ bituminous coal in- j
Justry tonight awaited action by Pres- j
ident Wilson's cabinet.
At the meeting of the cabinet to- j
morrow a definite, decision of policy
regarding all phases of the strike ait-'
uation is expected and if the cabinet
is in disagreement the whole question
may be put before the president.
Fuel Administrator Garfield, speak
ing to the joint wage scale commit
tees of operators and miners, an
nounced five principles which have
"governed" him and his associates,
but different interpretations were
placed upon its various provisions by
the workers and the mine owners in
informal discussions after the meet
ing.
Dr. aGrfield called the miners and
operators together after a lengthy
conference with Attorney General
Palmer, Director General Hines and
Assistant Attorney General Ames.
Owing to the disagreement which
[had arisen as-to the amount of the
j increase in the cost of living, and con
j sequently the per cent, of wage ad
I vances needed to meet higher iiving
costs, great significance was attached
to Dr. Garfield's declaration that "the
average total increase in pay over the
1913 base, which was the base consid
ered in 1917, should not exceed the
I present increase in the cost of living
j over the same base.
I "It is also to be considered that the
I cost of living will fall rather than
i rise during the next few yers," he
! added.
{ Operators construed this statement
as in conflict with the contention of
! Secretary Wilson that miners should
be given a 31 per cent, wage advance
j to equalize the margin between pres
i ent wages and a 79 per cent, rise in
'living cost sine 1914.
Pointing out that war time coal
j prices were fixed for the purpose of
I stimulating production. Dr. Garfield
j declared that the public would not
j now pay the increase over normal
j profits allowed during the war. HiS
j further statement that any wage in
? crease should be "borne by the oper
ators or the public or both" was gen
{eraily taken to mean that part of the
advance must come out of the excess
profits of the mining companies.
The five principles announced by
Dr. Garfield were:
"First?the* public must not be
j asked to pay more for coal than it is
! now paying for coal unless it is nec
j cssary to do so in order to provide
! reasonable wages to the mine work
j ers and a reasonable profit to the
i operators.
"Second?The arrangement entered
into between the operators, the mine
workers and the fuel administration
; with the sanction of the president of
I the United States in October, 1917,
was intended to equalize the wage of
classes of mine workers and to be
sufficient to cover the period of the
war, but not beyond March 31 ,1920;
: hence, xthe only increase in cost of
livbig which can now be considered
! is the increase above that provided
for by thfc average increase in 1917;
that is to vsay, the average total in
crease in pay over the 1913 base,
which was t<ie base considered in
1917. should inot exceed the present
average increase in the cost of living
over the same base. It is also to be
considered that the cost of living will
fall rather than rise during the next
few years. \
"Third?The maximum prices fixed
by the government oh coal were cal
culated to increase production of coal
for war purposes. Coal was basic and
the increase imperative.- The public
ought not to be asked to pay, and will
not now pay the increase over nor
mal profits then allowed for the pur
pose of stimulating production.
"Fourth?Any increase in wages
now arrived at on the basis of the
foregoing principles should be the
op< ttors or the public or both as
may be determined by the applica
tions of these principles and should
take effect as of the date when the
men return to work.
"Fifth?The needs of the United
States are not alone to be considered:
Europe is in desperate need of coal
and should have all that we can
spare."
Thomas T. Brewster, chairman of
the operators, saidy that Dr. Garfield's
pronouncement merely reaffirmed the
statements of the fuel administrator
before the wage scare committees last
week.
"I do not know what it all means" j
was the only comment of John L. j
Lewis, acting president of the United
Mine Workers.
When the coal situation comes be
fore the cabinet tomorro w, sharp dif- i
ference of opinion betwee? some mem-;
bers is expected. Representatives of
the operators have madej the claim
repeatedly that the proposal of Secre- j
'or-- ?i^o'_i *? g wa^e sdraiics of
A
80CTHB0.V, EnaMteba* Jan*
VoLXLIX. No. zL
STATES DEMANDS
Permeated With Lawless Antag
onism to Orderly Gov
ernment ^ ]
PRONOUNCED THE NEXT
THING TO BOLSHEVISM
Central Idea is to Run Country
Regardless of Capital or the
Public
Chicago, Nov. 24.?A new national
political body, to be known as the
Labor party of the United States was
created today by the representatives
of organized labor in convention here.
The object of the movement as set
forth in its constitution will be^TSso
organize all hand and brain ^workers
of the country to support "the princi
ples of a political, social and indus
trial democracy."
The striking points in the party
declarations are. ?
Women are to have equal, represeh- ?'?
tation with men in the management
of affairs;
A national convention will be held
next summer for the purpose of nom
inating candidates for president and
vice president;
The affairs of the organization will
be administered by a national com
mittee which will elect a secretary
treasurer as its executive head; ? "'
I Trade unions, . farmers' organiza
I tions, cooperative bodies and all
I other associations which subscribe, to
j the principles of the party are in
I vitcd to become affiliated with it. The
committee on constitution recom
mended that the national committee
be composed of one member from
each State but Robert M. Buck led-a
fight to have a man and a woman
from each State. Action was deferred,
until tomorrow.
The constitution provides f for the
issuance of State charters on petition
of five or more local branches.; The
basis of representation in tfce na?
tional convention will be one delegate
at large from each .State and addi
tional delegates for cvetjr 460 Xilj&xiy
membership from the different Statfe.
Members will be asked to ,con$f*?>V
ute one day's pay to the * camp&iln
fund; next year. In addition the paxfy
will be financed by the" levying of a
monthly tax from five to 25 cents
on each member, the members in
States without party charter paying
the maximum tax.
Among the resolutions adopted
were:
For the impeachment by congress
of United States District Judge ?n
derson of Indianapolis for his action
in granting the government a man
datory injunction ordering the rescind
ing of the coal miners' strike.
I Protesting against the massacre of
j Jews in the Ukraine and other Eu**0
| pean countries.
j Application of the principles of the
i initiative and referendum, in national
j legislation.
For the release of Eugene V. Debs,
j Kate Richards O'Hare, Carl JJaessler
and 1.000 other political and indus- :
I trial prisoners. ,
j For the' repeal of the espionage law
j and all other repressive acts passed
j by congress during the war.
For the revision of the army court-' r,
martial laws.
Demanding a new trial for Thonias
Mooney and Warren K. Billings.
The party plana to expend a large -
sum in a country wide educational
campaign in which moving pictures
will be a feature.
The convention expects to conclude
its work and adjourn either tomor
row or Wednesday.
TRUCE IN ESTHONIA
Northwestern Russian Govern
ment Ceases Activities
Reval. Nov. 26.?The demands of
Esthonian government that the north
western Russian government cease ac
tivities within the boundaries of J3s
thonia have been acceded to.
31 per cent, did not have the approv
al of a majority of the cabinet
it was admitted that Mr. Wilson woi
have the support of some who wei
willing to give the miners whatever!
they asked in order to get them back
tc work.
Other cabinet members it was saffl,
feared the effect a big wage advance
might have on the efforts ^f the gov-j
eminent to reduce the co of livini
Orantinff of the miners' re^._est won!
strengthen the demand of raili
employees and other workers for
pay and in many ways disturb th<
dustrial situation, according toj
view. * /j
Two new orders were issued j
by the fuel administration,
dumped into barges, scows, boj
other vessels, on lakes, riv/
other inland waterways,
subject to diversion by the,
administration in the
bituminous loaded in
The second order turned
director general of railr^
thority to restrict or prf
or consumption of bitui
the purpose of proAu
factttring ecke izz Vjeel