The Oskaloosa herald., 1902-10-09

ability to receive his guests in a more
formal manner. president entered
at once on the business in hand by
reading q statement which he hadcare-
fully prepared urging settlement of
the strike in the interests of the pub
lie. His manner was exceedingly Sc
rious and his voice showed deep feel
ing. Almost Immediately after the
president had closed, Mr.. Mitchell
arose and, on behalf of the miners,
offered to submit the differences to
arbitration. The operators looked
surprised, but before any reply could
desired that both parties take the
matter under consideration and meet
him again at three o'clock. The first
session of the conference had lasted
less than 10 minutes. The operators
! were driven to their private cars in
the railroad yards, and Mr.. Mitchell
and his party returned to their hotel.
The second Session.
All the other parties to it were on
hand at three o'clock. At 3:15 the
afternoon proceedings began. Presi-
dent Baer, Of the Reading, opened them
with a statement setting forth the
views of those he represented. He
was followed by President Mitchell,
of the miners union. Then Mr..
Thomas, of the Erie, followed and
was succeeded by Mr.. Markle, an
independent mine operator, and
Messrs. Truesdale, Wilcox and Fowler,
of the Lackawanna, Delaware G. Hud-
son, and Ontario G. Western railroads,
respectively. The purport of the
statements is embodied in the synop-
sis given in the opening paragraph of
this dispatch.
General But FruitIess Discussion
At the conclusion of the statements
there was considerable general, and
what might perhaps be regarded as in
formal, conversation. The president
called attention to a part of the state
ment made by Mr.. Raer, in which the
latter said that the operators were
willing to submit grievances to the
courts of common pleas in Pennsyl-
vania. The president asked Mr.. Mitch
ell if he, not as president of the union,
but as an individual, would agree to
that Mr.. Mitchell promptly replied
that he would not.
Conference Ends.
The operators made il plain that
they would not listen to any PROPOSE
II l.
was five minutes to five o'clock when
the conference ended. The operators
came downstairs and held brief con-
sultation and then left in their car
riages for their train, where they met
a number of newspaper men, TO whom
they furnished copies of the statements
they had made to the president.
Views of the Operators.
STIMULATING that they should not be
quoted, they talked quite freely of the
conference. Several of them declared
the interference of the president had
resulted in retarding rather than for
warding the settlement. They as
serted that no progress had been made,
and said they would return to continue
the contest. They declared that the
situation was most serious as to coal
supply, but said that coal would be fur
nished to the public, and that if given
protection they could get men to mine
coal to at least 20 per cent. of their
capacity. They declared there would
be no compromise, and that the strike
would continue until the miners sue
cumb. They asserted their determine
ton to make no concessions further
than the offers already made.
Statement by Mitchell.
During the evening President Mitch
ell, of the Mine Workers union, die
tated d formal statement concerning
the proceedings of the conference
and its results, in which he an
nounced that the strike would con-
tinue as a result of the failure of the
conference.
Possible Future Course.
The suggestion was made in ad-
ministration circles, though not as
coming from the president, that the
result had been to arouse and concen-
trate public sentiment. One of the
presidents advisers who was seen
intimated that some consideration
had been given before the confer
ence to the question of the future
course of the administration in the
event either party refused absolutely
to do anything toward settlement.
He minated that there was posi-
bility that the Interstate commerce
commission might be able to take
some steps with respect to carrying
charges on the anthracite coal roads.
Still, nublic sentiment, he added, was
the chief resource of the president
as to both parties to the strike.