Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1902-10-17
THE WAY is OPEN.
For a Complete Settlement OF
the Coal Strike.
Operators Agree TO Appointment OF q
Commission, Named by President
HooseveIt, that VIII Have
Power TO Settle all the
Questions Mt Issue.

Washington, Oct. 14.-By authority
of j. Pierpont Morgan, who with his
partner, Robert Bacon, and Secretary
Root were in conference with Presi-
dent Roosevelt at the temporary
White House last night for an hour
and half, n statement was given
out by Secretary Cortelyou in which
the presidents of the coal carrying
railroads and mine operators propose
commission of five persons to ad
just the differences and settle the
coal strike in the anthracite coal
fields of Pennsylvania. The PROPOSE
ton is believed by the administration
to be satisfactory to the miners, as
it covers the proposition made by
President Mitchell, with additional
conditions which it is believed that
the miners will accept. The state
ment is as follows:
The operators have agreed to the
appointment of commission to be
appointed by the president of the
United States, to whom shall be re-
ferred all questions at issue between
the companies and their employees,
whether they belong to union or
not, and the decision of the commits
sion shall be accepted by the opera
| tors.
The commission is to consist of an
army or navy engineer officer, an eX-
pert mining engineer not connected
with the coal mining properties, one
of the judges of the United States
court of the eastern district of Penn
sylvania, man of prominence, emf
nent as a sociologist and man who
by active participation in mining and
| selling coal is familiar with the ply
steal and commercial features of the
| business.
The operators also make n part of
their proposition that the miners
shall return to work as soon as the
commission is constituted and cease
all interference with non-union men.
The commission is to name the date
when its finding shall be effective and
to govern conditions of employment
between the companies and their own
employees for at least three years.
While no official statement was
made at the White House after the
! operators address was made public
by Secretary Cortelyou, the opinion
was expressed that the way is now
open for a complete settlement of the
strike and that the mines would soon
be in operation.
The issuance of the statement fol-
lowed n conference at the White
House which assembled very quickly
after Mr.. Morgan and his partner,
Robert Bacon, had reached Washing
ton on a flying trip from New York.
Mr.. Morgan and Mr.. Bacon arrived in
Washington about 10 o'clock last
night in a special car over the B. &;
o. and drove at once to the Arlington
hotel. They met Secretary Root and
the three gentlemen walked over to
the White House and were shown at
once to the presidents room. They
remained with the president until 10
minutes of IL o'clock.
The proposition of the coal opera
tors was the result of visit of Secre-
tary Root to New York and his con-
ference with Mr.. Morgan on Saturday.
Mr.. Morgan at that time expressed
keen interest in the situation and
desire to bring about an adjustment
If possible. Following this talk vita
Secretary Root there was a confer
ence in New York yesterday at which
the proposition of the coal operators
was agreed to and Mr.. Morgan was
delegated to bring 1t to the president,
The next move will be the presenta-
tion of the matter to the miners, and
it is probable that President Mitchell
will be invited to Washington to con-
suit the president.
Wilkesbarre, Pa, Oct. 15.-From a
thorough canvass of the situation
there is every indication for believing
that the new arbitration plan pro-
posed by the presidents of the coal
companies for ending the miners
strike will not be accepted in its pres
ent form. There is a division of opin-
ion among the strikers, but there is
no doubt that n majority feel that
the offer to have the president of the
United States select an arbitration
committee along the lines suggested
by the operators is not fair and that
it unduly limits the president in
making up the board. The miners,
it is said, will abide by the advice of
their national president, in whose
Judgment they have the utmost conf
dence. President Mitchell declines to
say how he personally looks upon
the proposition, but last night he
gave to the press the following state
ment:
81 fully appreciate with what anxi-
ETY. the people of our country are
awaiting the end of the coal strike.
The coal operators have not ad-
dressed the Miners union or its Of
} ficers in making the public statement.
1t is, therefore, impossible for me to
) state the attitude of the miners at
| this time. / am now, as have always
! been, deeply solicitous of the inter
ests of the public and the welfare of
: the mine workers, who have been on
strike for the past five months. A
formal statement defining our posi-
tion and intentions will be issued just
, as soon as we are in possession of the
, full meaning of the proposition of the
operators"