The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1902-10-09
Conference of Operators and Representatives of the
Striking Miners Ends Apparently
Without Result
Both Sides Make Statements but Operators Refuse
to Agree to Consider Any Terms Less
Than Surrender.

wound and redressing it. Apparently
no ill effects had resulted from the
excitement of the day, and after a
later call at o'clock DR.. Lung an
nounced that the presidents condition
was satisfactory.
Settlement Is Retarded.
1t was five minutes OF five o'clock
when the conference ended. The presi-
dents came down stairs and held a
Their carriages for their train, where
they met a number of newspaper men
to whom they furnished copies of the
statements they had made to the pres
ident. Stipulating that they should
not be quoted, they talked quite free
ly of the conference. Several of them
declared the interference of the pres
ident had resulted in retarding, rather
than forwarding the settlement. They
asserted that no progress had been
made, and said they would return to
continue the contest. They declare
that the situation is most serious as
to coal supply, but said that the coal
would be furnished to the public and
that If given protection they could get
men to mine coal to at least 70 per
cent. of the mines capacity. They de-
clared there would be no compromise,
and that the strike would continue un-
I'll M C,oprn,hnd Thaxy
serted their determination to make no
concessions further than the offers al
ready made.
The operators will leave in the early
hours of Saturday morning, and Presi-
dent Baer said he expected to be in
New York by 9 o'clock Saturday.
Mr.. MitcheII's Statement.
During the evening President Mitch
ell, of the Miners Union, made a for
NAL statement concerning the proceed
ings of the conference and it's results,
tinue, Following is the text of Mr..
Mitch.4l's statement:
''At the morning session of the con-
ference between the mine operators
and the committee representing the
miners, President Roosevelt outlined
the purpose for which he had called
the operators and miners together
After the president concluded his
statement. the miners at once pro-
posed to refer the questions and is
sues of the coal strike TO the presi-
dent for adjustment, but this PROPOSE
ton was afterward rejected by the OPP
orators.
'At the afternoon session the min
ers submitted formal statement of
their proposition. To this proposition
each of the operators read reply in
which they refused to accept the serv-
ices of President Roosevelt, or tri-
bunal to be appointed by him, to de-
termine the issue of the strike, and in
each of their statements they INDUCED
in a perfect TRADE of abuse of the
miners organization and it's effects.
It was evident to the miners repre-
sentatives that the coal operators were
without regard for their former en-
ployes and of the public, which is suf-
fering so much for the lack of fuel.
Convinced of Success.
"As a consequence of this refusal of
the operators either to grant conces-
sions or to refer to individual arbitra-
ton, the coal strike will go on. l am
firmly convinced that the miners will
win, although we deeply regret the re-
fusal of the railroad presidents to de-
fer to the wishes of the chief execu-
tive of the United States.
"The president expressed the hope
that there would be no lawlessness in
the coal fields, and the representa-
tives of the miners assured him that
their every effort would be exerted to
maintain peace"
In reply to questions, Mr.. Mitchell
said that the president had said moth
ing in reply to the proposition of the
miners to submit the question to arbi-
tration, but he added that their offer
was in the line of the presidents sug-
gestion for an immediate settlement of
the dispute. He also said that the
merits of the strike had not been en-
tered upon at any length. as all were
familiar with the questions at issue.
Referring to the manner of conduct
ing the strike in the future, he said
he thought it would proceed hereafter
about as it had proceeded in the past.
Deep interest was manifested in the
conference on the part of the public.
The sidewalk and street in front of