Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-10-10
THE COAL STRIKE


, thracite Region-Hard Coal Practically UI
ob,a;rob,e ona pr;o.s os v;nas =, rrs
becoming Aap'a1y ffohloitlVe'
The conference called at the Whit
House Friday by President Roosevelt
representing the people, six president
: of leading coal companies. represent
ing the mine operators. and Presiden
Mitchell and two other Miners union
officials. representing the strikers
achieved nothing in the way of strikt
settlement or the production of coal
The president in addressing the con
ference. dlsclaimed any right or dut,
to intervene officially or in any lega
way. but said that the terrible i'm
pending catastrophe of winter fue
famine for our people impelled him Il
use his personal influence to end sit
uation which has become literally intol
cradle He asked his hearers u droI
their respective issues for the time be
ing and to meet on the common plane
of public necessity. He appealed L
their patriotism, with all the earnest.
ness there is in me, - that operation oil
the mines be Immediately resumed so as
to meet the public needs. In answer,
President Mitchell, for the miners. OF.
fered to 20 To work at once, the ques-
lions involved in the strike to be set
tied by committee appointed by the
president. The mine operators. how.
ever, refused vehemently to listen 10
any propositions in which Mitchell or
the union was included; but offered to
leave individual grievances of miners
to the judges of the district courts of
their mining districts if they could
not be settled at the collieries. They
did not hesitate in the conference. to
criticise the administration for not
sending troops to the mines to protect
non union labor, or to denounce the
miners union. and claimed that with
proper protection from strikers, they
( had men enough to mine coal to meet
the country's needs. Both contesting
parties left the conference with the
assertion that the strike would 90 on,
and that no concessions would be made.
Saturday morning. after a confer
ence with the president and other cab
met members. Secretary Root an
nounced that the president would not
call an extra session of congress to con-
slider the coal strike and that he would
call no more conferences. At present
he has no further move TO make. He
considers the state of Pennsylvania the
proper and only authority TO handle
the strike. He will not send troops TO
Pennsylvania unless requested to do SO
by Gov. Stone. In response TO the
claim made by the mine operators in
regard TO lawlessness and anarchy in
the mining regions. and the unproteCt-
ed state of labor there. Gov. Stone
summoned Adj. Gen. Stewart from
the Grand Army encampment at Wash
ington and called his generals in from
the strike regions for war council:
and Monday morning ordered out the
entire state militia Of Pennsylvania
for strike duty. giving the operators
chance to prove their boast. President
Mitchell Immediately issued call for
mass meetings Tuesday in all the min
ing towns. urging the miners to stand
firm. and not TO be provoked by the
coal and iron police into the commits
sion Of overt acts. He called the claim
of anarchy. made by the operators. an
attempt to array public sentiment
against the miners. BE steadfast and
true" he urged, 1.-The heart of the ma
ton beats in sympathy with YOU. and
all good citizens favor your cause. -
The military force of the state com
prises three bripades and numbers 10.
200 men. of whom 5000 were already
in the field. The cost to the state will
be over LOCO, GOO
The president Monday sent a message
bv Hon. Carroll D. Wright, commits
sioner of labor. TO John Mitchell pres
ident of the Miners union. TO the eff
feet that if Mr.. Mitchell would set the
miners at work immediately he would
appoint a commission to investigate
thorouhgly into all the matters at issue
between operators and miners and
would do all in his power to obtain a
settlement of these questions. The
miners do not regard this proposition
favorably and probably will not decide !
10 return TO work on these conditions.
A despatch from Harrisburg Tuesday
stated that within a week. if the oper-
ators' claims are correct. the mines. .
AZ collieries. will be in ope-
ration. II saws further. ION the very .
highest authority. " that if the mines .
are not opened and enough coal to
meet the public demand is not pro
duced at the end of 10 DAYS, the state
will exercise the fullest
extent of its power and compel the pro-
duction of an adequate fuel supply. In
this determination the governor will
have the support of President Roose-
Welt. the leaders of his party in the
state and the citizens in general
While all these vain conferences and .
fnt;le nlans are being carried forward.
incl is ranidlv growing more scarce and .