Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1902-10-02
PRESIDENT CALLS
S'ltJEE CONFERENCE

Washington, Oct. 2. = President
Roosevelt will make an effort to bring
the anthracite coal mine owners and
their striking employees together in
the interest of the public good. This
conclusion was reached after series
of conferences with his cabinet ad-
visers, covering Tuesday and yester-
day. The decision was arrived at
when the lawyers of the cabinet in
formed the president that there was
no way, under the constitution and
the form of government of the United
States for federal Intervention to end
the strike. Every phase of the situa
ton was canvassed. and the deter
mination to have the mine owners
and President Mitchell meet the presi-
dent was reached when it was found
that no other method was open. AT
the conclusion of the conference yes
terday, which was attended by Sec
retaries Root, Shaw and Moody, At
torney General Knox and Postmaster
General Payne, at the temporary
White House. the following statement
was issued:
kilograms were sent to the follow
ing presidents of coal roads and op-
orators: George f. Baer, of the Read.
ing; w. H. Truesdale, of the Della
ware, Lackawanna and Western; E.
B. Thomas. of the Erie; Thomas P.
Fowler, of the Ontario and Western;
r. M. Olyphant, of the Delaware and
Hudson, and John Markle:
81 should greatly like to see you on
Friday next. October 3, at II o'clock
a. M, here in Washington, in regard
to the failure of the coal supply, which
has become matter of vital concern
to the whole nation. I have sent .
similar dispatch to Mr.. John Mitchell,
president of the United Mine Work
ers of America
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
This is the one sent to John
Mitchell:
Il should greatly like to see you ON
Friday next. October 8, at IL O'Clock
a. m, here in Washington, in regard to
the failure of the coal supply, which
has become matter of vital concern
to the whole nation. l have sent a
similar dispatch to the presidents Of
the anthracite coal companies.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
At the meeting tomorrow the line Of
approach toward the settlement of the
strike will be an appeal by President
Roosevelt to both sides to come to-
gether as men, and not to allow false
pride or a feeling of obstinacy to stand
in the way of the termination of the
great strike, which is fraught with
such threat of misery to thousands Of
people. 1t is stated by one of the
presidents advisers that beyond this
the president cannot go; he has no
powers of compulsion to bring into
play against either side, and he must
rely upon his persuasive abilities and
his appeals to their sense of human
ity if anything tangible is to be ac-
complished.
The president intends to lay before
his hearers the situation as it appears
to him with all the prospective horrors
that will follow fuel famine, and will
urge them in the interests of human
ity to open the mines and supply the
demand for coal. The president has
taken this action because he feels it
to be his duty to do So as the execu-
tive head of nation threatened with
great periS The president has, in
sense, taken upon himself the burdens
of an arbitrator in this great dispute
between capital and labor, and al
though the arbitration is not compul-
sorry and is not even known under the
name of arbitration in any OF the invi-
tations issued yesterday, it is the hope
of the president and his advisers that
it will be effective. Just how, no one
can say, though there is the sugges-
ton of temporary arrangement
which will tide over the cold weather
1t is stated by member of the cab
met that there is no political purpose
in this effort, but that the president is
moved to exert his influence solely in
the interests of the people.