The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-04-22
CITY IrrHLLIGENCE
THE COAL TRADE.


The Farce OF ArBitration--wm It BE
z Again Performedt-The w. B. A. I'm the
way Of an Agreement-COelst 60 Newcas-
tIe-The Complete Tonnage for the
Week, Etc.
The mast has been an eventfui week In the history
hoard ae re0sesentna All the regions has held meet
ing Tor the purpose OF settling the difficulties ami
the homes Of All parties were high with the expecta
ton OF early settlement put the close Ol , .ae
week does not fulhl the promise OF the beginning.
The council has been held and is fully over II mas
amounted almost absolutely 70 nothing. IN some
pToeeedings of the meeting were conducted in such
that IL is very douolIul II tne experiment
VII ever De cTeSit S[Sn as with good Intentions, al
least in this move, went to the
meeting with the spirit Of mutual concession sSrohg
in them and only In such spirit can arbitration DC
arbitration. But they were met by the sordld aud
selfish spirit OF the old leaders OF tne neIs, Mn9m
is to be represented, though they always represent
it in the worst possible way and the operators have
thing. The general disappointment is necessarily
one thing on which the members OF the board
could not agree submitted TO the decision Of
the umpire. This was the question OF interference
with the mines, which has been made special con-
dltion OF resumption by the Schuylkil operators.
The umpire, giving his decision according TO law
and right decoed against the miners and they,
taking the alarm, refused to submit anything more
Arbitration to the miners evidently means the
putting down Of all claims by the railroad compa-
ies or operators and the upholding of all demands
made by the miners. They do not seem to think
tbat there is such thing as fairness in the thing
by means of which the interests OF both sides may
be considered. Their action, at al events ven IN the
prepared concede the least item in their claims
They, the contrary, manifested grasplng spirit,
trying by every little mean advantage to defeat the
wishes Of the operators. With such spirit there
be no arbitration, There must be mutual con-
Cession and desire to accommodate at the expense
of some advantages. The parties must come to-
gether to see good-naturedly what can be done un-
der the circumstances, and by 80 coming together
they acknowledge that what they each desire cannot
be Obtained In any other way. III one party, however,
meets for arbitration, and at the same time attempts
to gain every inch OF his former claim no arbitration
can result
assurance that there Is any permanent value.
When question is submitted TO an umpire 1t is with
the understanding that his decision is binding and
final. But that this is not the here is shown by
the refusal OF the miners to submit anything further
and by the absence OF any action by the board
proceedings of the board. There 10 no authority
whatever for thinking that because Judge Elwe
said that the miners should not interfere with the
management of the mines, that therefore when the
miners are again working the members OF the w. b.
A. Will refrain from striking because ''back-eg"
is given employment at a mine where the members
Of the Union may be working. II this be So even
what was done was no arbitration whatever, and
there Is not the slightest authority for calling it by
The action Of the board leads to only one concu-
sion, and that is that true arbitration cannot exist
in connection with the W. b. A. at least with the
Union as it is now organized and managed. With
new and less selfish leaders the thing might be
done.
The principal diffculty on the wages question
which caused the disruption of the council was in
the demand of the miners that the basis of each
region be fixed the same, and on the New York
rates Of coal. This was naniiestlY unjust upon the
Schuylkin operators, and by them promptly
refused. That the representatives OF the Schuykil
miners should have insisted upon such measure
is matter to be wondered at. The
only explanation conceivable is that they were on
posed to the whole system OF arbitration though
they have to appear to like il, because 1t Is now
thrust upon them ON all Sides by their constituents
as well as by others, and that they, by adherng to
unjust measures, hoped to be able to defeat it and
cause 1t TO be rejected as means of settlement.
They fear tt because they thtnk that it is detrf-
mental to their positions as officers of the w. 3 A.
and dangerous to the salaries which they receive
from that source.
The Miners journal makes mention of q curious
and vet lamentabe consequence OF the strike in
the Schuykill region. This is the fact OF rolling
mill in PottsVlile pouring out OF its ehlmneYS the
thick smoke OF bituminOus coal which 1t is obliged
TO use to keep in operation, and which has been
brought all the way from the western coal-heds,
though the mill is situated within half a mile OF an
anthracite cOliery which is not allowed to De worked
by the miners tyrannous association, and though
the proprietOrs OF the mill own cOiliery In the
neghhorhood, also under the same ban, which is
intended to supply their own works with
outrageous than that we here in Philadelphia should
be obliged to use coal brought some three hundred
miles from Pittsburg, while our natural fuel, OF a
better kind, is right at our DOORS what Ia equi-
valent to it. by reason Of the railroad advantages
which have been constructed for the express pur-
pose OF bringing it TO us.
The following is the complete summary of the
trade for the past week. as reported for the POTTS.
vile Miners Journal OF to-day