The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-10-02
He Scorns tho Idea Of Inter-
ference by Federal Authorities.
TAKES NO STOCK IN REPORTS
Says That Prospects for a. Immediate
Ending OF The Strike Are Very
Satisfactory.

New York, Oct 2.--In the face OF re-
to end the coal strike and despite the
fact that Wall street is booming the
stocks OF the coal roads in the belief thal
the end is near at hand. President Geo
f. Baer OF the Philadelphia and Reading
road, said yesterday:
There has been no change in the poll.
cy OF the operators and there will be nc
change. do not take any stock in these
reports OF action in Washington or else
where to end the strike.
There is no reason for interference by
anybody The situation is better today
than it has been at any time since the
strike began"
nently satisfactory"
"Eminently satisfactory? No, not with
men idle who are anxious to work. But
we are mining more coal today than al
any time since the beginning OF the
strike. We are opsning new collieries
right along. but l am not saying where
the collieries are, because We might be
interfered with"
lis any of this coal coming to New
York;"
NO the Philadelphia and Reading is
not shipping any here. We are caring
for our friends in Philadelphia. They
come first
There is practically no coal here. and
the danger of famine in this city this
winter is considered to be very great"
said the reporter.
NO FAMINE SAWS PAER
There is no fear Of that. / am quite
certain there will be plenty of winter
coal here at a fair price. / am sure Of
that There will be no famine"
1T is reported that Mr.. Root. secretary
of war. had conference with Mr.. Nor
gan last night relative to ending the
striker"
lis IL true that John Mitchell had
conference with representative of the
operators 10 agree upon plan for ending
the striker"
Baer. emphaticaly. II understand that
some newspapers arranged a conference
with Mr.. Mitchell to draw up a new bill
OF intquity against the operators. That
is all that that conference amounted to-"
Down in Wall street the prices of all
the coal roads were put up in the belief
that the strike was practically at an
end?'
II don't know anything about that The
operators will not change their position"
II was just after the close OF three
hour meeting of the president and execu-
tive officers Of the coal roads that Mr..
Baer made the above statements. II was
one of the longest meetings held by the
coal presidents since the strike began.
The meeting was held in President Baer's
office in the Jersey Central building, at
the foot of Liberty street.
II was the regular weekly gathering OF
the directors of the Temple Iron company.
the Official name OF the coal trust. The
directors Of the Temple Iron company is
made up Of the presidents of the coal
roads. Everything pertaining TO the coal
industry, production. wages. price and
other matters are arranged at the meet
ings of the Temple Iron company.
Yesterdays meeting was notable be-
cause OF the unusual number present.
Business of the first import. 1t is known.
was transacted. but its character was
carefully kept secret.
COAL MAGNATEs ALL PRESENT
The coal magnates present were. be-
sides Mr.. Baer: President w. III. tTrues-
dale of the Delaware. Lackawanna and
Western; President Thomas +. Fowler, of
the New York. Ontario and Western:
President r. NJ. Olyphant. OF the Della
ware and Hudson: President Frederick
ID. Underwood, of the Erie: President Al
fred Walter, OF the Lehigh Valley; T.
B. Thomas. chairman Of the executive
board of the Erie; Robert De Forest
vice president OF the Jersey Central
President Lewis A. Riley, OF the Lehigh
Coal and Navigation company; John f
Kerr. first vice president of the New
York. Ontario and Western: Mr.. Wilcox
of the Delaware and Hudson John
Markle. OF G. u. Markle 81 CO., and Irving
A. Stearns OF Coke Bros. & Co These
two latter firms are the largest OF all the
independent operators In the anthracite
region.
about an hour President Baer left by a
private exit and was gone nearly an hour
He came back out of breath, his face
covered with Precipitation. II was said
that he left the meeting to consult with j
Pierpont Morgan on some matter which
had come UP for settlement, but this could
not be verified.
After the meeting not only Mr.. Baer but
all the other presidents made Il plain. in
the most positive kind OF language, that
the operators meant to push the fight
to n finish. and that so far as they were
concerned the strike would end only
when the men had gone back TO work on
precisely the same terms that existed be-
fore the strike
In their manner Of speech none OF the
PRESIDENTS exhibited the slightest trace
of weakening because OF the tremendous
demand all over the country within the
past week for some action that would
bring the strike TO n close.
John Narkie was one OF the first 10