The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-06-11
STAND OF THE OPERATORS
FULL INFORMATION GIVEN LA-
 BOR COMMISSIONER WRIGHT.

President MitcheII's Demands De-
 termination Not to Accede Strongly
 shown n-Declination of the Last Prop
 ositiou of the Miners.
 New York, June 10.-Carroll D.
 Wright United States labor commits
 sioner, who has been Investigating the
 coal strike situation upon instructions
 from President Roosevelt, late this af-
 ternoon started his conference with the
 operators. He held a two hours session
 with President Baer of the Philadel-
 phia and Reading railroad, President
 Olyphant of the Delaware and Hudson company. and President Truesale of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western railroad.
 MT Wright said that the books had been opened and he had secured all facts and figures and now had sufficient information of both sides, which would probably not necessitate his going to the coal fields. He declared the investiga- ton as practically over. He said he ex- pected to spend the evening with friends and would hold no conference.
 The presidents of the coal roads im- mediately affected by the strike of the anthracite coal miners made public to- day letters which have passed between the operators and President Mitchell and other representatives of the United Mine Workers in reply to the invitation of February 14 to the operators to joint conference to form a wage scale.
 The operators say they have hereto- fore hesitated about making public this correspondence. 'The president of the United States" they add, having re- quested MT. Wright the commissioner of labor, to investigate the strike, the presidents of the coal companies have given him such facts as he desired in cluding this correspondence.
 The first letter in reply to the invita- ton on the list is that of President Baer, of the Central Railroad of New Jersey, declining to join in the confer- ence, dated Philadelphia February IS, 1902 and addressed, as were all replies, the operators say, to "John Mitchell, president, and others" at Indianapolis. MT. Baer contends that it is impractic- able to formulate a wage scale in the anthracite region, as in the bituminous because of the marked difference be- tween the two methods of mining. Mir Baer goes on to say tha tthe company he represents does not favor the plan of having it's relations with Its miners 1 disturbed every year. "There cannot he says, "be two masters in the man. l agement of business" Discipline in | is essential, and discipline | is impossible where the employe relies | on some outside power to sustain him | in disobeying reasonable orders"
 President Truesdale of the Lackawan- na replied in the same strain and de- clined to attend the conference.
 President F. B. Thomas of the Erie replied most emphaitcally repudiating the right of the union to interfere, He says the effect of the action of the min srs' organization has been to create spirit of unrest There have, he says been Interruptions of work occasioned oy unwarranted demands and agitation resulting in the loss of over 900 days work and over 600,000 tons of production rom April to October 1.
 MT. Thomas further says: Ut is the nalienable right of a man to labor, m dthis without regard to nationality, reed or association. To seek to pre- ,ent it is crime, and we cannot, even ,y implication, sanction such course. This company prefers to deal with it's wn employees"
 The replies of President T. P. Fowler if the Ontario and Western and P. M. )Iyphant of the Delaware and Hudson, nd Alfred Walter of the Lehigh Valley re brief and in line witlA the others. The history of the strike from the ,hamokin convention to May s is then utlined and the following is given as by MT. Thomas, under tood to be the basis of the first con- erence of the coal presidents and the nine workers and Civic Fedora tion off, ,, ials:" / 1.-The anthracite companies do not | ndertake in the slightest manner to discriminate against members of the !, Jnited Mine Workers of America; but f hey do insist that members of, that or- r anization shall not discriminate . gainst nor decline to work with non | lembers of such association. d '2-That there shall be no deteriora- {; on in the quantity or quality of the ork, and that there shall be no effort ', , restrict the individual exertions of len who, working by ton or car, may, i )r reasons satisfactory to themselves nd their employers, produce such a uantity of work as they may desire. "3-By reason of the different condi- ons, varying not only with the dis n jets, but with the mines themselves, d lus rendering absolutely impossible D nything approaching uniform condi- J' ons, each mine must arranger, either d Idividually OF through it's committees, ith the superintendents or managers, ny questions affecting wages or griev- lces." A The first discussion, the adjournment h IT thirty days, and the two futile and d nal discussions between the union cl aders and the operators represented tl / Messrs. Thomas, Truesdale and aer are mentioned. Mr. Mitchells spatch of May s. in which he proposes at. in view of the failure of any ,e ,reement resulting from the discus c on up to that time. the industrial p anch of the Civic Federation select a mmittee of five to arbitrate and de- 1e all questions in dispute, the award
 be binding upon both parties for the TT.