Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1902-10-03
FOR THE GEN.:
ERAL PUBLIC
President Roosevelt Said That Three Parties
Are Affected by the Coal
Strike.
He APPEARED FOR BUT ONE
After Fifteen Minutes Of Conference the Railroad Pres
ldsnts Retired for Consultation and Then
Left the White House TO Return at
Three O'clock

Washington, D. c., Oct. 3.-At 112
O'Clock, when the conference over tht
coal strike situation had been in pro
gress but Is minutes, the railroad rep
resentatives left the conference room
and were cleseted in room on the
lower floor of the White House. The
general supposition was that they ha6
either received a proposition and had
retired to consider it or had retired to
prepare one of their own. Soon after
retiring to their room, the railroad
representatives left the White House
They refused to say anything except
that they were coming back at o'clock
for a further conference. President
Mitchell and his party left the White
House soon after the railway presi-
dents. The following statement was
made public at the White House:
Remarks of President Roosevelt at
the opening Of the conference, Oct. g.,
1902 wish to call your attention to
the fact that there are three parties af-
fected by the situation in the anthra-
cite trade, the operators miners and
the general public. speak for neither
the operators nor the miners, but for
the general public. The questions at is
sue which led to the situation to affect
Immediately the parties concerned, the
operators and miners; but the situa-
tion itself vitality affects the public. AS
long as there seemed to be reasonable
ted between the parties, it did not seem
proper for me to intervene in any way.
I disclaim any right or duty to inter-
vene in this way upon legal grounds or
upon any official relation that bear to
the situation, but the urgency and ter
rible nature of the catastrophe impend-
ing over large portion of our people
in the shape of a winter fuel famine
impel me, after much anxious thought,
to believe that my duty requires me to
use whatever influence T personally
can bring to effect settlement of the
situation which has become literally in
tolerable. I wish to emphasize the
character of the situation and to say
it's gravity is such that am constrain-
ed urgently to insist that each one of
you rea! re the heavy burden of respon-
sibility upon him. We are upon the
threshold of winter with an already
existing coal famine, the future terrors
of which we can hardly yet appreciate.
The evil possibilities are so far reach
ing and so appalling, it seems to me
that you are not only justified in sink
ing, any tenacity as to your respective
claims in the matter at issue between
you. In my judgment the situation i'm
peratively requires you to meet upon
the common plane of the necessities of
the public. With all earnestness that
there is in me, ask there be an imme- |
diate resumption of operations in the
coal mines in some such way as will, |
without a days unnecessary delay, |
meet the crying needs of the people. I
do not invite discussion of your re-
spective claims and positions. appeal
to your patriotism, to the spirit that
sinks personal consideration and makes |
individual sacrifices for the general
good"
At 1880 o'clock Secretary Root ter
nearly an hours private con-
ference with the president. The secre- |
tary was in an optimistic mood when |
he left the White House. He said he |
could not communicate anything fur |
ther than what had been given to the
press, but did not hesitate to express |
his individual opinion to the effect that
the prospects were bright for some sat
isfactory outcome to the negotiations |
instituted today. Secretary Moody
dropped In to see the president about |
noon. He stayed, however, but few
moments and while he stated that it
was purely naval business that brought
him to the White House, he did not de-
ny that he had acquainted himself with
the coal strike situation.
When Mr.. Mitchell and District Pres
idents Duffy, Nichols and F'ahy left
the White House after the conference,
they returned to the hotel. where they
were closeted during the afternoon.
Mitchell declined to say anything about |
the purpose in regard to settlement |
Of the strike. The representatives of |
railroads were driven from the White |
House to their special train in which |
they remained at the Baltimore and
Ohio station until it was time to leave
for the second conference. They pre-
pared statement which they will pre-
sent to the president when the confer
ence reassembles and which they will
make public as soon as the president
has seen it.
At 1888 the conference was still in
session without result. The news that
came from the inside to the effect that
the coal presidents had prepared state
ments which they intended to publish
caused a feeling of depression, for 1t |
was taken to mean that they had re-