The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-05-09
OFFER 10 ARBHRATE
xrNxrs ANXIOUS TO sETrL1
 DIRTE1ENCES.
Operators Have Not Reply to the Pro- position submitted by Wire by
 President 1litchsll--Strtke May Yet Occur.

Scranton, Pa, May 8.-The Executive Committee of tho three distrScas of the anthracite coal field. representing all of the members of the United Mine Workers in that territory. resumed its secret con ference soon after o'clock this nornins.
 There is much apprehension in business circles all over the anthracite region rc- garding the action of the mesting. Stroug influences arc at work among the miners to prevent q strike as t is thought . strike at this time means a Ions strugEie and consequencely q paraiysing of in dustries. Many officials of the Miners
 union are working to prevent the declar- alton of strike. There Ia much specula-
 ton a to what will be the action of the union should 1t decide that drastic meth ods are necessary.
 Granted that no concessions will be made to the men. the miners omclals have only two moves to make unless they declare for or against strike. Tnsy may ca,l another convention. fresh from the rank and file, to decide the matter. or they may send committees of employee ot the different coal operators to ask Tor concessions. Some of the company of- ficials are said to favor the latter plan as a way out for both sides,
 President Mitchell yields the same pow CT of influence over the miners that he has hitherto exercised, and 1t Is conceded that the question of strike or no strike will be settled by him.
 A union official attending the meeting said this morning before entering the con-
 vention hall:
 No living man can at this hour say
 just what decision will be reached. l will
 say. however, that the situation at pres
 ent points to a continuation of the con-
 vention over today. and probably through
 several days. It is also true that the dif-
 ferent delegates and different opinions ex-
 pressed by miners representatives who
 win have q vote is away from a strike" When asked to explain how the com
 mittee could recede from the uncompro- missing stand so recently taken by the Shamolin convention, the official In ques- tion shook his head and added:
 Yes. I know the proposition is hard one. No plan has been decided upon as yet. No concessions have been made. We have absolutely nothing in the way of an overture from the operators"
 At l0:2O the Executive Committee took recess until 80 o'clock this afternoon. l President Mitchell issued the following statement: t "The Executive Committees of the An | thracite Mine Workers organization have | proposed that all questions at issue be- | tween themselves and Anthracite coal mine operators be submitted to an im- partial hoard of arbitration. such board l to be seiecte,A by tiie industrial branch of | the National Civic Federation. This prop
 osition has been submitted to the opera | tors by wire"
 The statement was issued by President Mitchell, after he had been in communi- l cation by long distance telephone with unknown persons He also received nu- merous telegrams.
 During recess. MT. Mitchell said the committees were awaiting replies to the proposition embodied in his statement. The afternoon session of the miners convention lasted less than half an hour. | Up to 2 o'clock no answers had been re- ceived from the operators on the propo- sal to arbitrate and the meeting was ad- journed until tomorrow It was the pre- vailing opinion here that unless the ope- rators agree to arbitrate or make coun- | ter propositions which will contain sub stantial concession, the committee Of | miners will declare strike tomorrow.