The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-06-11
Answers of Presidents.

The answers of Messrs. Thomas,
Truesdale, Baer and Oliphant follow.
Mr.. Thomas says:
| Not only from our standpoint but from
yours as well, the matter has had such
| full and careful consideration in all its
| features at our several interviews last
week as leaves little to be discussed. In
| addition my letter of February 20 cannot
| fail to make it clear to you, as it is to us,
| that the subject cannot be practically
handled in the manner suggested in your
| telegram.
Mr.. Truesdale says:
| Your message of this date received You
| fail to state in that the notices posted by
| this company not only agree to continue
| paying the ten per cent. increase granted
| our mine employees in 1900 until April l.
! 1903, and thereafter subject to sixty days
| notice but 1t also states our mining SUI
perintendent will take up and adjust any
| grievances with our employees. The rea-
| sons why we cannot grant your demand
have been most fully explained in our re-
cent conferences and my letter to you of
| February Is last.
| Mr.. Baer explains in answering the
dispatch, and after referring to the
Civic Federation conference, he adds:
| We gave you the figures showing the
cost of mining and marketing coal, and
the sums realized therefrom in the mar
kets, in the hope of convincing you that
| it was absolutely impracticable to in
crease wages. TO your suggestion that
| the price of coal should be increased to
| the public. our answer was that this
was not only undesirable, but, in view
| of the sharp competition of bituminous
| coal, it was impossible. We offered to
permit you or your experts to examine
| our books to verify our statements. An
| IA mi inir 10 n hustnocs u.
religious, sentimental or academic propo-
| stion. The laws organizing the compa-
MES | represent in express terms impose
| the business management on the pres-
| dent and directors. / could not, if I
would, delegate this business management
| to even so highly respectable body as
the Civic Federation nor can l call to my
aid as experts in the mixed problem of
business and philanthropy the eminent
preates you have named
Mr.. Olyphant declines the proposition
| briefly. and the long presentment of the
operators closed with the statement
| that no further communications have
| been received.
Mr.. Mitchell at Headquarters.
Wilkes-Barre, June 10.-President
Mitchell had little information to i'm
part to the waiting correspondents
when he arrived from New York at
| 1l.35 O'Clock tonight. He said that the
strike Is no nearer settlement now
| than it. was before he went to New
York. If President Roosevelt had a
peace plan or would devise one as a
result of the information Commissioner
Wright Is gathering, he did not know
it. Neither did he hear of any nego-
| tiations that may be on.
\ His attention was called to the fact
that all the correspondence prior to
| the strike order was made public to-
| night, but he had no comment to make.
| II is believed that he ils prepared
| himself to make a statement as a re-
ply to those letters. because it was
known to him that sooner or later the
operators would give the correspond
ence to the public.
In reference to President Baer's
telegram refusing to arbitrate, In
which he refers to President Mitchell's
suggestion to raise the price of coal,
Mr.. Mitchell said:
1T is true that l did say in the
| conference, but not by letter. that
thought the public would ..ot object to
ten per cent. increase in coal, II the