Proclamation 1566—Appointment of Commission to Arbitrate Wage Differences Between the Anthracite Coal Operators and Miners

By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation

Whereas, the wage scale of the anthracite coal operators and miners expired on March 31, 1920; and

Whereas, the operators' and miners' wage scale committee has been in conference since early in March in an effort to negotiate a new wage scale; and

Whereas, the committee agreed at the beginning of its sessions that / any agreement finally arrived at would become retroactive to the first of April, 1920; and

Whereas, I addressed a communication to the scale committee on May ii, 1920, when a disagreement was imminent, in which I said that if the scale committee was unable to reach an agreement I would "insist that the matters in dispute be submitted to the determination of a commission to be appointed by me, the award of the commission to be retroactive to the first of April in accordance with the arrangement you have already entered into, and that work be continued at the mines pending the decision of the commission. I shall hold myself in readiness to appoint a commission similarly constituted to the one I recently appointed in connection with the bituminous coal mining industry as soon as I learn that both sides have signified their willingness to continue at work and abide by its decisions"; and

Whereas, I have been advised that both sides have signified their willingness to accept and abide by the award of a commission thus constituted; and

Whereas, the scale committee has further agreed as follows:

(1) The terms and provisions of the award 1 f the Anthracite Coal Strike Commission and subsequent agreements made in modifications thereof or supplemental thereto, as well as the rulings and decisions of the Board of Conciliation, will be ratified and continued, excepting insofar as they may be changed by the award of the commission.

(2) When the award of the commission is made it will be written into an agreement between the anthracite operators and miners in such manner as the commission may determine.

(3) It is understood that neither operators nor miners are in any manner bound by any tentative suggestions that have been made during the period of their negotiations and that either side shall use its own discretion in the presentation of its case in connection with matters at issue;

Now, Therefore, I, Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States, hereby appoint William O. Thompson, of Columbus, Ohio, Neal J. Ferry of McAdoo, Pennsylvania, and William L. Connell, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, a Commission to hear and decide the questions in dispute between the anthracite coal operators and miners. Its report will be made within sixty days if possible, will be retroactive to April 1, 1920, and will be made the basis of a new wage agreement between the anthracite operators and miners in such manner as the Commission may determine.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done in the District of Columbia this 3rd day of June, in the year of our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Twenty, and of the Independence of the United States the One Hundred and Forty-fourth.

WOODROW WILSON

By the President:

Bainbridge Colby, Secretary of State