The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-10-15

Scranton. Pa, oct. 14.-In response to 8
request for a statement as to his view.
on the answer of the United Mine Work
ers to the operators proposition, T. II
Watkins, president Of the Temple IroI.
company. which is largely interested il.
coal mining. tonight gave out a somewha
lengthy statement, in which he says in
part:
we will give our men reasonable time
TO return to work. trusting that they will
see the mistake of being guided and in
nuenced by men, who, however honest
and sincere they may be in their efforts
to benefit the miners of the anthracite
REGION. are unable to advise them intelH-
gently and for their best good, because
OF their ignorance OF the conditions con-
trolling the trade
Mr. Mitchell apparently thinks that the
control of the mining operations rests in
the hands of one or TWO persons. notably
Nr. Morgan. or that there is a trust OF
some sort which can decide the whole
question when, as a matter of fact there
are only three or four of the transpOrta-
ton companies in which any one concern
ed has any influence. and they do not rep
resent I'D per cent OF the whole anthra-
cite tonnage More than one hundred dif-
fcreEt companies and inViduals are in
terrSted in mining the total tonnage and
no one man can control or have the
slightest influence over their action
-One thing the companies are aopar-
agree Efforts have heen made for years
70 yet some plan to which all could
asree. 10 c9nuQI the tonnage so that Iair
prices could be paid for the product
which requires so large an investment Of
money with such a great risk TO the labor
employed, as well as the capital employed
bUl effort after effort has failed. through
inability to agree on a plan that would
not violate the laws, and TO which all
But Mr.. Mitchell comes here and saws
I'm effect that no mine workers shall go
20 work until every operator does Just
exactly what the other one does. ans that
the Lchigh and Schuylkill men must have
a new basis before the men of the LACK
awanna and Wyoming regions can go 20
work.
Opposed to Recognizing Union.
There are some individual operators
Grd some companies who will lose theiy
last dollar before they will enter any ar
r.lECmcnt with any operator. or will Join
In an arrangement to recognize the union
by agreeing to any arrangement Mr..
MitchelIs organization dictates for s set
Element of the strike
The leaders Of the organization. trust
will soon see their mistake in insisting
upon any further action by the companies
and order the strike off.
The United Mine Workers will Law
themselves open. if they have not already
done so. to the charge of being the largest
and most dangerous trust to the public
welfare that has ever existed. and the or
ganizatiOn viii make The mistake of all
others that failed. by going too far and
as those directly interested.
our company will be glad to discuss
the matter with our employees when they
are ready to meet us with a view of going
back TO work without regard to Wha-
Schuylkiu operators may do. The strike
has already cost US great deal of money
and the men much more, as well as loss
of trade. which we may never recover.
In the meantime, soft coal mines are
working night and day, filling the place
Of anthracite coal
Other Operators Approve Stand.
Before giving the statement Mr.. Wat
alorS, among them Superintendent La
luIupe OF the Leh,gh Valley Coal com
t@iy az Wllkesbarre, and it received
Morgan &-Co. are allied with the Temple
IRON company and that Mr.. Watkins and
ar. LaJhrope are cnairmen of the opera
lots committees in their respective ter
mJ9Tles gives added Importance to the
Another prominent operator. E. L. FUI-
LgF, IN an interview tonight said the
operators are not called upon to do anv-
L, o5InS except continue their patient policy
O waiting reasonable length of time
iur lhelr men to return to work
mere IS nothing before the opera tors
s5.H'r collectively or Individually" said
NlI. 'ller. We, or many OF us. offered
our men an advance in wages. addressing
-'lltr OF the same direct to our re-
.llNe employees We have heard Moth
L--- rom them as yet. OF course we have
ser Pm the newspapers that a convention
q miners passed some resolutions. They
M.Ig not addressed to us and as far as
w" KNOW lney were not from our en-
il,,t'rS. II is not uD to the operators 30
resident Mitchell would have nothing
a. S"i lot publication tonight He spent
ga. Nd! IN catching up with his CORE
Sl'.NrAce. lie also had various informal
1-.t-eItlceS with his fellow officials but
VIA, WIS done could not be learned.
"a conference of operators is to take
pace tomorrow afternoon at / O'Clock al
'"' V'"te OF the Temple Iron company.