Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-11-28
COAL STRIKE COMMISSION ADJouRNs.
To Give Miners and Operators a Chance to Set
tie Their Difficulties by Proposed Compro-
mise-Basis Includes Ten Per Cent. Raise in
Wages and Nine-Hour Day.

Through their legal representative;
I the miners and the mine operatives
have agreed to try to adjust their diff
ferences outside the anthracite Goa
strike commission. \ compromise
basis i proposed. to include a ten pei
cent. increase in wages, a nine hour
day and trade agreements between the
miners and the company by whom they
are employed. These terms may not
/ necessarily be accepted. although both
sides have expressed themselves as
willing to settle difficulties among
themselves. This movement, one of
the most important in the history of
the strike. has created great sensa-
ton. 1t is said to be a spontaneous
proposition, brought about by the
prospect of interminable proceedings
on the part of the commission. The
latter will. in the meantime. assume a
conciliatory attitude.
The commission. in view of this
movement. adjourned Saturday until
December ,, when it will convene to
hear report on the efforts at an agree
ment. A committee of the commits
sion. Messrs Watkins. Parker and
Clark. will remain in Scranton to re-
ceive any matters which either par ty
may have to present.
During Fridays session of the com
mission the question of the health of
mine workers was made the subject of
sharp inquiry. DR.. +. p. Lenahan of
Wilkesbarre, who is connected with
several hospitals in the city, and has
had long experience among mine work
ers. testified that fully 80 per cent of
the men who work in the mines are
anaemic. The principal diseases suf-
fered by the miners, the physicians
said, were miners asthma, rheuma-
tism lumbago and sciatica Miners
asthma comes from coal dust, powder
smoke and Initiated air. DR.. John o.
Maley of Scranton said that at post
mortems he had seen miners lungs as
black as anthracite itself. and DIR. Len
ahan testified that he had personal
knowledge of man coughing up coal
dust nine years after he had left the
mines. He said he had information
that man had coughed up coal dust 10
wears after he had left the mines. 1t
was also stated that 80 per cent of min
ers who reach the age of 30 years are
afflicted with some form of rheuma-
tism.
During the examination of DR.. Peter
Roberts last week Wednesday, in an
swer to question propounded by
Judge Gray, DR.. Roberts said that
comparison of fatalities on all rail
roads in the United States with those
in the anthracite fields show that 2.
per 1000 railroad employees are killed
annually, while 3. > per 1000 employees
were killed in the anthracite industry.
The fatalities, switchmen. tlagmen and
watchmen in 1900 he stated to be >. 3
per LOCO, as against 81 per 1000
among miners and their laborers work
ing inside the mines.
The settlement negotiations were
shifted Tuesday from Scranton to Wash
ington and New York. Nine of the in
dependent operators held a conference
with the presidents of the coal carry
ing roads regarding the position of the
individual companies; and Wayne
MacNeagh and other coal roads attor-
neys conferred with President Mitchell
and his allies.
At conference of the independent
coal operators and the combination of
coal operators in New York Tuesday
the former made strong protest
against any settlement ''out of COURT
and urged the combined operators to
stand firm for full hearing and final
decision by the Presidents commits
sion. The conference subsequently
voted not to meet John Mitchell and
his associates in Washington Friday
as had been suggested, 1t is
not known who invited the operators
to Washington or to whom they ad
dressed their answer. but it was une
quivocal,