The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1894-06-14
DISHEARTENING.
Operators and Miners Conference
Will Come TO Naught.
President Adams. Of the Ohio Miners, Not
IAlono In Holding Out Against Com
promisc-The Operators Express
Great Confidence OF "a Settlement.

1
Cor.rMBra. O.. June 1.-THE question
on everybody's lips here sunday night
| was VIII the strike be settled Nor.
tlay?" and nobody was able ito find a
sa satisfactory answer. Opinions are
greatly divided. but the aspect is grow.
ing dark. and it now begins to look as
! though this joint conference will result
in naught The rule that settlement
must be general and affect all districts
involved prevents tho>e that arc dis
posed to compromise from entering
into any agreement with their orer'
atorS. a
1t developed Sunday evening that
after all President Adams. OF the Ohio
| miners, is not alone in holding out
against the compromise on. so and fg
are equally firm in opposition to it. IT
Is learned, furthermore. that an effort
has been in progress all day to
strengthen the opposition to any aort
of compromise. This effort has been
in the nature of kilograms from Che
constituents Of the miners delegates
urging the latter to stand firm and re-
fuse to accept anything save basis oi
70 cents in Ohio, and 20 cents in the
Pittsburgh district.
The miners side of the scale commit
tee held secret conference Sunday.
but what was done in it can not be
learned. While the opera tors nre will
ing to talk to some extent the miners
absolutely refuse to have anything to
say for publication. One OF the mort
prominent officers OF the Mineworkers'
unions stated cnnfdentially Sunday
evening that he did not believe a settle
lnent would be reached Monday, and
he feared none would he attained by
this conference.
This places the matter i'll very dis
couraging light. md there is vigorous
cndcavor on the part of advisers of the
miners to induce them to yield to a
compromise. Another prominent Off
Ger of the mine workers expresses the
same opinion as that given above.
On the operators side great conf
dence is expressed that settlement
will be reached on the basis proposed.
One big operator said that he had no
doubt that Mondays meeting would
bring the strike TO TN end
Notwithstanding this statement it is
learned that Pennsylvania operators
declare that the promises made by the
operators from that state NOW here are
without authority.
There is one thing certain. according
to the belief al every individual in n
position 10 form an intelligent opinion,
and that is, if this conference fails in
its mission, there will follow the mast
terrible. confiic. since the civil war.
The loss of life that will follow causes
a shudder ut Inc thought.
Yhe conference Ii the critical pivot
upon which turns this question. and
realizing, as everybody does. the extreme
gravity of the situation. all the coun-
sellers of both operators and miners
nrc using every whit of Influence to
get some sort ola eo&p.omise. This was
the only encouraging feature of the
conditions Sunday night, for it is be:
lieved that the members Gs .he scale
committee will us, every means cans to
avoid tbs yam.pity sure to follow dis:
agreement.