The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-10-01

not cOnceding that there Is anything
in the agreement whereby any party
| other than the company is to decide
whether or not q man Is dishonest or
Ineglectful, is willing to waive it's ex-
elusive right to pass upon the conduct
of it's men, and show, under forfeit.
that in this case it had full warrant
for discharging the men.
THREE ARBITRAToRS.
| At first the men wanted three arbi-
traitors and Mr.. Siliman agreed to it.,
although his preference was for one, it
being his wish to avoid as much as
possible the liability of disclosing to
the employees the source of the CONF
pany's information. or in other words,
disclosing the identity of the company's
| detectives.
The men named 4. ]. Nichols, dis
trict president of the United Mine
Workers, as it's representative on the
board of arbitration. The company did
not name representative, but instead
came out yesterday with the offer con-
tained in the general managers letter.
printed above.
The committee was agreeable to the
proposition to have Bishop Hoban act
would he satisfactory that did not con-
| template the reinstatement of the dis
charged men pending the arbitration
| The company refused to reinstate Them
but agreed to pay them in full for the
| time they We're off, if the decision Of
the arbitrator was against the COM
pany.
The employees argued that there was
| v>,.i,, s,,1n ,f {,1y IL se.nI
men are ready to make affidavit Of
| their innocence; their oath should be
as good at least as the word of the
company's sources of information"
and until it is proven that it isn't, the
men should not be compelled to walk
| about the streets adjudged guilty be-
fore they are proven innocent.
A FINAL EFFORT.
Last night the employees committee
waited on General Manager Silliman
to make a final effort at settlement.
They agreed to have Bishop Hoban
arbtrate the question as to whether or
not Gorden and Garden We're guilty of
the charges preferred against Their,
providing the accused men should be
given opportunity to make defense
before the arbitrator, either in person
or by representative, and that they
should be put back to work pending
the decision, the union to pay their
wages if the decision was in the conf
pany's favor.
Mr.. Sillman would not agree to go
any further than indicated by his let
ter, that is, ito refer to Bishop HOban
the question as to whether or not,
under our contract with you, our dis
charge of these men was proper"
Mr.. Silliman was willing that the
men should be allowed an opportunity
of putting in their defense before the
arbitrator, but declined to agree that
the accused should have a chance to
face their accuSerS and crosS-question
them. The company was willing to
have the accused furnished with the
evidence. but not with the names Of
the parties giving the evidence.
The committee left the general man
ayers office and went into executive
session at its headquarters in the
Grand Central, the same quarters from
which it directed the strike of last
spring. At the conclusion of the meet
ing, President Shea said there was no
alternative but to live up to the de-
cision of Sunday mornings meeting.
committee would be posted at all the
barns, he said, to notify the crews that
no settlement had been effected. and
that the strike was on. This was
scarcely necessary, however, as Car
penter's hall had been engaged as
rallying point, and nearly all the troll
leymen assembled there at the con-
clusiOn of their runs 10 hear whatever
news the committee might have to give
out, and receive instructions for the
morrow, in case the fight was to go on.
A member of the executive committee
said last night that General Manager
Silman'S letter offered nothing: that
it was written with the full knowledge
that it could not effect Il settlement
| and that its only purpose was to make
| the public believe that the men had re-
fused to arbitrate.
THEY FIRST PROPOSED IT.
"Why it was the men who first pro-
posed arbitra ton" he went on to say
I'VE are willing to arbitrate and to
show our anxiety for arbitration we
waived the first agreement that the
board should consist of three men and
allowed Bishop Hoban, the choice of
the company, should be sole arbitrator.
But the company does not agree to ar
bitrate.
"What is really offered in General
Manager Silliman's letter is that the
company can convict Gordon and Car
den before any far-minded referee
providing Gordon and Garden are not
allowed to combat the testimony of the
company's sources of information. We
want the public to understand that
the company does not offer to arbi-
trate and that all the men are asking
is arbitration and the reinstatement of
the accused men pending the finding