The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-12
THE ANTHRACITE COAL STRIKE.

The latest rumor regarding a possible
ending of the anthracite coal strike says
that a conference has been arranged TO
take place tomorrow between Governor
Stone, of Pennsylvania, and President John
Mitchell, of the Miners Union. These re-
ported rumors of impending agreements
and settlements indicate the anxiety OF the
public for the ending of the strike, but
they do not necessarily indicate that the
parties to the strike are any nearer an
agreement than they were at the beginning.
Governor Stone has stated his willingness
to call the Pennsylvania Legislature to-
gether provided he can be assured of the
enactment of some legislation that will end
the strike, but nobody is competent to give
that assurance. Drafts of several bills
have been submitted to him, but he has
not indicated whether he approves them or
not. The latest expression from the
parties to the controversy indicate that
they are as far apart as ever. Mr.. Mitchell
says he is absolutely sure the strikers will
win, and one of the leading operators says
they will not yield a point. He says the
only possible way to end the strike is for
the men to resume work voluntarily, at
the terms prevailing before the strike be-
gan. ard then the operators will confer
with them regarding alleged grievances.
This operator is said to be one of the
largest in the anthracite field, and what he
says has such a distinct bearing on the
IF of he frilr hx,
arbitration or by amicable Intervention that
1t is worth while to quote his language:
The strike will end when the men come
back of their own accord and on the terms
on which they worked before the out
break Of the strike. In no other manner
can this strike be ended We will brook
no outside interference of whatever nature,
political, humanitarian or of any other
origin. When the men go back it will be
at the wages and on the conditions obtain
ing last spring. After they have returned
we Will take up any grievances with our
own men. We have posted notices to that
effect in our collieries, and that has been
our attitude right along.
From this it appears that the operators
are determined not to submit the case to
arbitration nor to confer with any person
regarding alleged grievances except their
own employees. This means that they will
not recognize the United Mine Workers nor
Mr.. Mitchell as their president, and this, in
turn. means a fight to the finish.
The operator who makes the foregoing
statement says the miners have broken
two or three arbitration agreements during
the last few years, and holds Mr.. Mitchell
responsible for their conduct in this re-
gard. His statement is ex parte, but he
makes strong case against the anthracite
miners being governed by a union composed
largely of bituminous miners. United
States Labor Commissioner Wright made
the same point in his recent report. He
recommended the formation of a separate
anthracite coal-miners' union, to be en-
tirely independent of all other unions in
relation to its own affairs. and to be fnan-
cially responsible for its agreements. There
| is reason to believe that if the anthracite
miners had such a union the strike would
probably not have occurred, as the ope.
| rators have, from the beginning, expressed
| a willingness TO confer with their own EN-
ployes. The formation of a separate an
thracite miners union and its incorporation
would be a long step towards a permanent
i settlement of the trouble