The Dickinson press., 1902-10-18
MINERS MAY NOT ACCEPT.
Indications That Plan of Operators Is
Unsatisfactory.

Indications That Plan of Operators Is
Unsatisfactory.
Wilkcsbarre, Pa. Oct. 15.-From
thorough canvass Of the situation as
it exists now there is every indication
for believing that the new arbitration
plan proposed by the presidents Of
the coal companies for ending the
its present form. There is division
of opinion among the strikers, but
there is no doubt that majority feel
that the offer to have the president
of the United States select an arbitra-
tion commission along the lines sug-
and that it unduly limits the president
in naming the board. The miners, it
is safe to say, will abide by the adj
vice of their national president, in
whose judgment they have the utmost
confidence. President Mitchell de-
clines to say how he personally looks
upon the proposition, but he gave to
| the press the following statement:
Il fully appreciate with what anx-
| iety the people of the country are
| awaiting the end of the coal strike
The coal operators have not addressed
| the miners union or its officers in
| making their bublic statement. 1t is,
| therefore, impossible for me to state
| the attitude Of the miners at this
time. l am now, as l have always
been, deeply solicitous Of the inter
ests of the public and the welfare of
| the mine workers who have been on
strike for the past five months A for
| NAL statement defining our position
and intentions will be issued just as
soon as we are in possession of the
full meaning of the proposition of the
operators"
Viewed in Different Lights.
the new proposals in different lights
and make strong arguments according
to their views. Those who are op.
posed to accepting the new offer look
upon the operators last move as a
counter-proposition to Mr.. Mitchells
offer to arbitrate made in the tempo:-
ary White House at Washington. They
compare he two offers and pick out
what they allege to be many flaws.
Their greatest objection to it is that
the operators dictate to the president
from what class of men he shall Sc
lect the arbitrators and charge the
operators with lack of faith in the
president when they do not give him
a free hand to pick the men he wants
Another objection to it is that the
president is limited to four men in
selecting the jurist on the commission.
Neither are they sure, they say, that
labor would be represented, because
the proposal does not SPECIFICALLY say
so. but add that they have no assur-
ance that "a man OF prominence, emf
nent as a sociologist" would cover
this objection.
A great many of the strikers think
the proposition should be accepted
and that the miners should trust to
President Roosevelt to do the best un-
der the conditions laid down by the
coal road presidents. An argument
has made by one miner that Mr.. Mitch
ell could not well afford to turn down
the proposition after already offering
to permit the president to select the
members of the commission. He
thought the president would appreci-
ate the trust put in him and see that
the miners had fair play. Others in
the same class thought that not much
harm would be done by accepting the
proposition. but that in the end much
good will result.