Evening star., 1902-08-25
MORGAN IS NOT READY
He May Have to Settle Coal
Strike.
FEARS PUBLIC OPINION
PROBABLE DEVELOPMENTS OF
THIS WEEK.
Operators Striving to Break Strike by
Starting Up Their Plants
Gradually.
Special from a Staff Corrnsnondent

Special from Staff Correspondent.
NEW YORK, August .25.-In J. Pierpont
Morgan's office this afternoon it was said
that Mr.. Morgan was not ready to make
any declaration about the coal strike Mr.
Morgan is being urged in many quarters
to settle the strike. 1t is claimed persist
emily that he do so. He has replied
that he is not the president of the coal
railways, whereupon it is retorted that, as
Wall street well knows, he controls the
presidents of the coal railways. In Wall
street it is said that Mr.. Morgan could end
the strike at word. That is, if he should
give the word to grant any portion of the
demands of the mine workers union it is
believed that Mr. Mitchell, in behalf Of the
miners would Immediately accept and the
men would go back to work
1t is not believed that Mr. Morgan will do
this. Only one thing on earth could in
duce him, it is said. to withhold his hand
against the. contemplated crushing of the
mine workers union, and that one thing
would be formidable outbreak of public
Indignation against the present situation,
which is rapidly growing intolerable.
Afraid of Public Sentiment.
If Mr.. Morgan and his associates should
see that the public sentiment throughout
the country was being aroused in a way
likely to react upon all the great Industrial
combinations, interfering with plans now
under way and greater plans in contempla-
tion, it Is possible that he might take the
pressure off and permit this crisis to end
without the destruction Of the Mine Work.
ers' Union.
Personally Mr.. Morgan is not as much
opposed to labor unions as some of his as
ba
steel trust he did not antagonize the union,
and was known to have under consideration
plans which would work for closer relations
between the employer and the union But
the action of President Schaeffer of the
Amalgamated Steel Workers last summer
In breaking written contracts which his as
sociation had previously entered into with
the steel trust and declaring a strike,
served to embitter Mr.. Morgan against
unions. Therefore when this strike came
on and the presidents of the railway COM
panies declared that they must fight it to
a finish this time, Mr.. Morgan passed the
situation into their hands and went to Eu-
rope.
He returns to find the strike still on, the
union apparently intact and a rising tide
Of outraged public sentiment which later
Will nave to be taken into consideration
Presidents Plans Unchanged.
There is nothing in sight today to alter
the statements heretofore made in these
dispatches as to the plans of the railway
presidents. The definite purpose is to start
the mines one by one, get the coal in the
market and then to crumble the strike to
pieces gradually. The coming week NAV
SHOW important developments along this
line Ihe railway presidents are said TO
realize the danger which may come from
further prolonging the existing situation
and are reported to think that they can
avert danger in the way above mentioned
Their view is that the public is NOT 60
mucn interested in the fate of the Mine
workers Union as in the advancing nrce
OF anthracite. They think that if thew can
start the collieries and get enough coal to
supply the demand, keeping prices below
abnormal figures, that the public quickly
Will lose interest in the fate of the miners.
and that when the strike finally goes TO
pieces the operators will have won their
point over the union.
May Raise Wages.
Their next move, 1t is said, would be to
grant per cent increase Of wages to The
men, not through the union, and thus salve
the feelings Of the workmen. The success
OF this plan, Of course, depends upon the
power of the union to prevent the colterics
starting up. Reports from the strike
region show that the union has not sue
ceeded In providing the relief to the id.e
fire