Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-11-26
All Peace Negotiations Between
Operators and Miners
at an End
OWNERS REFUSE TO ARBlTRATE
Commission Will Be Obliged to Settle
Every Point in Dispute and the Con-
troversy Promises TO Be More Bitter
Than Ever Operators Refuse to
Meet Mitchell.

the commission appointed by President
Roosevelt.
The operators, who asked for the
armistice, and suggested direct arbi-
tration with the miners. today per-
emptorily refused to meet President
Mitchell next Friday. as had been ar
ranged by their own lawyer, Wayne Mac
veagh, with the lawyers representing
the miners, and declared the negotia-
lions closed.
The coal road presidents met in this
city and received from Mr. MacVeagh,
who was consulting with the miners
in Washington, a suggestion for con-
ference with Mr.. Mitchell in Washing
ton on Friday. Mr.. MacVeagh ex-
pected an acceptance and was astound-
ed when Baer and his fellows tele-
graphed that any further conferences
were useless. Both sides are now de-
termined and angry and the whole
strike matter will be thrashed over be-
fore the commission, which must settle
every point at dispute.
The refusal of the coal road presi-
dents to pursue the arbitration meet
ings further was caused by the decided
stand taken against arbitration by the
independent operators, who presented
statements to Baer and his associates
bitterly arraigning the United Mine
Workers and demanding that the plans
for concession be dropped, saying they
would forever establish the power and
ES,,; ODD ne
the United Mine Workers"
A large number of independent oper-
ators joined in the conference with the
trust operators and thru their repre-
sentative, C. y. Simpson. protested
against any agreement with Mr.. Mitch
ELL Mr.. Simpson made a speech, at
lacking the union, and urging the coal
road presidents not to recognize Mitch
ell.
The demand of the Independent oper-
ators for concessions from the railways
and their charges that the trust could
squeeze them in event of an agreement
with the miners. were not presented.
The statement of the independents.
presented by c. D. Simpson, follows:
Scranton, Pa, Nov. %, 1902.
ssTo Messrs. Baer, Thomas, Trues-
dale, ELEPHANT, Fowler and Walter,
presidents:
"The undersigned individual coal
operators whose product is carried
over one or the other of your respective
railroads having learned efforts are be-
ing made to effect settlement of the
questions now before the anthracite
coal strike commission, of which the
individual coal operators have been
made a party at the request OF the
commission and a number of your COR
porations, beg leave respectfully TO en-
ter their vigorous protest against any
such settlement to be made at this time.
and set forth the following among
many reasoDs
81. We believe that such settle
ment at this time and upon the basis
suggested would forever establish the
power and perpetuate the injustice per-
by the united mine workers.
SO. That such settlement would be,
in the eyes Of the public, confession
that we have heretofore been guilty of
all the offenses charged against us by
the said mine workers
SO. That we have, and believe that
you have, such a perfect and complets
defense to the allegations made by the
before the commission
that any money award the commits
sion would render would be far less
than the amount we understand that 1t
is proposed to concede, especially to
miners and their laborers.
"a. That aside from any money con-
this commission, composed
as we believe of men that are abso-
lutely fair, unbiased, and Of unusual
experience and good judgment in their
findings, will make such declaration as
will for many years put ban upon
unlawful practices, oppression of non
union men, unjustifiable demands, and
other grievances that we have been
suffering under since 1900, when the
union first took possession of our prop
erty If, on the other hand, this set
tlement be made now, when not sim
gle witness has been called on our part
or on your behalf, it will be an abso-
lutte and distinct surrender to the min
ers' union and the troubles above re-
ferred to will not only be continued
but so magnified as to be absolutely
Claim Miners Are Beaten.
''The hearings before the anthracite
coal strike commission present the first
the coal operators have
ever had of presenting their case before
the general public, who are really an
important third party since abstracts
at least OF these proceedings are pub
lished all over the United States, and
it is duty that we owe to ourselves,
as we'll as to them, to prove that the
continued and repeated charges of in.
justice, barbarity, and extortion are
absolutely unfounded, all of which the
individual operators at least propose
to do.
1.-The case as presented already shows
such weakness that we believe they
were almost disheartened when these
for a compromise were ,
made We believe that any surrender
on our part, which would be practically
what this compromise would amount
to, would be by far the most serious
mistake ever made in the anthracite
coal business.