Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1902-11-28
A Complete Surprise.

part OF the time by Carroll ID. Wright
in an. endeavor to adjust some details
of the proposed agreement between
the operators and the miners, COM
pletely surprised every one here. From
reliable source it is learned that the
proposition that the operators meet
Mr.. Mitchell on Friday next was made
at the instance of Mr.. MacVeagh, VIII,
was no less surprised than Mr.. Nit
chell himself at the turn affairs hao
taken.
Statement by Mr.. Darrow.
From statements made by Mr.. OAR
rev early in the day the impression
had spread that a complete agree
ment would be effected at the con-
ference, but when the meeting broke
up Mr.. barrow read to the newspaper
men in the corridor outside his room
in Williard's hotel statement
which made it clear that no final
agreement had been reached, and
that no further conferences were
likely. The statement was as fol-
lows:
"The conference Tuesday was sim
held at Scranton and with precisely
the same object-that of trying to
reach basis of hopeful discussion
for an amicable settlement. Mr.. Mac
Veagh has not been in Scranton since
Thursday and some matters devel-
oped as to which a further confer
ence might be useful before either
the operators or the representa-
of the miners approach the serious
task of formulating definite agree
ment for their signatures
Not Asked For by Mitchell.
Mr.. Mitchell, when shown the dis
patch from New York telling of the
action of the operators, simply
smiled, and said that he had not asked
Tor the conference, but that when it
was suggested to him, if it would be
agreeable to meet the operators, he
said it would. Mr.. barrow and Mr..
Lloyd, however, were outspoken re-
garding the action of the operators.
Mr.. barrow said it was "now up to the
operators" and that he would return
at once to Scranton, and on Tuesday
next would appear before the COM
mission ready to go on with the hear
ang. Mr.. Lloyd referred to the fact
that Fridays conference had been
suggested in order to adjust some
matters on which there was still some
disagreement. "Yet," said Mr.. Lloyd,
the same men who only last week
wired the commission their assent to
the general provisions of the tenta-
tive agreement, and upon the
strength of which the commission adj
journed for week in order to give
the parties time to get together, now
gocompletely back on their former ac-
ton and call it all off. We are salts
fed to 60 before the commission and
continue the hearing" Messrs.
Mitchell, barrow and Lloyd left here
at $50 over the Pennsylvania rail
road for Scranton.
/ Baer Sends Reply.
Z New York, Nov. ga serious
hitch occurred Tuesday in the plans
for a settlement of the coal contro-
versy by conference between the Goa.
operators and the miners union, and
~ is now almost certain that the final
adjustment of the points at issue
will be referred again to the Graycom
mission. At meeting between the
presidents of the coal roads and a
large number Of independent oper-
ators, strong protest was entered by
the latter against treating directly
with the miners.
During the conference requestwas
received from Washington asking that
10th the independent operators and
the railroad representatives meet
John Mitchell and his associates on
Friday. Mr.. Baer, president of the
Reading Railroad company, was in
etructed to make the answer:
"The conditions are such that no
substantial progress toward an adj
1ustment can be made by the sug-
gested meeting. The general iudg.
ment of the operators is that it will!
be best, for the present, to go on with
the hearing"
Independent Operators Protest.
New York, Nov. 26.-The indepen-
dent coal operators protested Tues
day TO the coal carrying railroads
I against the proposed plan to settle
differences with the mine workers
union. One of the reasons advanced
BY the independent operators is that
such a settlement upon the basis sug-
gested would forever establish the
power and perpetuate the injustice
perpetrated by the United Mine Work
ers."
1 Independents Dissatisfied.
New York, Nov. 26.-A number Of
independent anthracite coal oper-
ators were in session here Tuesday
and, according to trustworthy re-
ports, President Baer, of the Jersey
Central & Reading, was in conference
with them. The independent oper-
ators present included j. NJ. Rice, ].
=. Cake, j. ]. Jermyn, 81. c. Reynolds,
Mho II Ettsrnsy tor thy .vpsratSrst