Sistersville daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1902-1905, 1902-11-24
Independent Operators Will
Stand Firm for Recognition
in Strike Settlement.
CONTROL | 5 Per CENT OF OUTPUT
Say They Can comPIicate Matters
if They Care to. but Feel It Would
Not Be Fair to Do so-commission
ers First to Suggest Compromise

Scranton, Nov. 24-The position tc
be taken by the Independent coal op
orators with regard TO the tentative
agreement between the large coal
companies and the mine workers t"
settle their dispute outside the an
thracite coal strike commission, but
with the conciliatory assistance o.
the arbitrators, has not yet been
definitely decided upon. The inde
pendents held meeting Saturday
night. at which were present the rep
resentatives Of about &c companies
and a committee Of nine was appoint
ed to go to New York tomorrow for
the purpose Of meeting the presidents
Of the coal-carrying railroads an1'
learn from them what the independ
ent companies are TO expect, provld
ing they agree TO go along and adjust
the labor dispute without arbitration
This decision was not reached unit
the Independent operators attorney.
Ira II. Burns. Of Scranton, had made
a report Of the conference he attend
ed. a. which were present all the at
torneys for the large companies am
the miners and the ''conciliation, OF
subcommittee OF the commission.
Until they Learn what the large
companies intend 10 90 the indepeld
euts will make no positive stand, be
yond that which they took in the
hearing before the commission or
Saturday. That was 70 the effect
that they object 10 the commission
approving any agreement in which
the Independent operators are not in
cluded.
The independent operators W..
make firm stand for some recogni
ton in the matter Of a settlement
with the miners. II is authoritativelJ
stated they will not assume the All
tude Of belligerents when the commit
tee meets the coal presidents, MOI
will they appear as supplicants. The
Independents feel that II an increase
in wages is agreed upon they vii.
. want some concession from the coal
carrying railroads in order 10 COM
pensate them for granting an il
crease TO the miners.
The Independents say they car
complicate matters IL they cared 10
but feel il would not be fair 20 the
public or themselves 10 do so. While
it has not been officially stated. If l.
understood that whatever agreement
is submitted % the strike commits
sion for approval must first have r
be approved By all the companies.
The large coal companies have bee-
gradually absorbing the Independent
com panies. and IN the opinion Of seY
eral CT these smaller operators Il Is
only question Of tine when the largs
companies viii have control OF all Of
them In 1900 the year Of the las
big strike, the independent oompanieE
mined about % per cent Of the entire
anthracite production, but nov they
control only about Is per cent Of thf
coal output
There has as yet been no definite
time set for the holding Of confer
ences between the representatives =.
the large coal companies and the
Iine workers. The attorneys and
CTher persons representing the BIZ
companies have gone TO New To-F
cr6 Philadelphia 70 instructions an
srtt~-ity - ac- Nothing viii b
d-ne teEe Uatil 1.sv return clothe.
Ti-5 P9w-- % nsgotizte Z settle
zert !
life p2:5:-g hzs bean sEee5
rT7~- - -. ----o--+ that can = /
ID - III f;-s : that the nec
~ - - IN 'le neigaoorhOod Of :
pr cent i7crezse- a nine hour ds- I
- -eigEiRg cf Al 20 De ADJUST
20 ~ i re-. az agreements ts 7
ten re uez sad TIE companies =
,-Icn tEe7 are elp'2-ed. The ag-ez .
Eents. E = e-D<cre1. viii T1a for q
TEN RI 'E- O. t5ree yezrs. from Ncv
;. TIE fCCr principal demands c.i
re Eias-s are fo- 4 20 pe- cent II /
C-szsA- IN fistt-EoHr day. weiShi.el
Ct coal wherever practicable By thsi
tn and yes-Iy trs5e agreements.
A representative Cf - Miners sz:s
yeste-ds- that II is posSTble the neBt
elplc-ed By each co-rznv viii have
= rc-nittee o. c-genfZ-ttcn 20 dszgt
- he e~zTz--- ~-~s7l-. the resi
= Az-e - --E-.1rS@.@s r--Fzz tEsc
tie S-Ezresce fc- aSglee the nzsi072