Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-10-09
IS DETERMINED.
President Held Conference Yester-
day with Legal Advisers
on the Coal Strike.
CONPEREES VERY RETICENT
Will Not Give Any Information Regard
ing Result OF the Conference.-The
lieved That the President Has
Made an Appeal to the Minors
and Gov. Stone.

Made an Appeal to the Minors
and GOV. Stone.
Washington, Oct. 5.-1n an earnest eff
fort to expedite the adjustment of the
coal strike problem another conference
over the situation was held at the White
House to-day and adjourned after three
hours delberation. No statement WAS
given out as to the conclusions reached
and every participant absolutely refused
to discuss what had taken place during
the meeting. The conference was called
for to-day, although it was Sunday, in
view of the extraordinary Importance to
the American people of a solution of the
question.
Besides the President there were pres
ent at the conference Secretary of War
Root Secretary of the Navy Moody, At
torney General Knox, Postmaster Cen
eral Payne and Col. Carroll D. Wright.
United States commissioner of labor The
last named was summoned to attend the
conference on account of his expert
knowledge of the situation in the anthra-
cite coal fields and because of his per-
sonal investigation of the conditions
there which he made some months ago
at the instance of the President. 1t was
|
bers of the cabinet We're present. This,
however. was significant only from the
fact that three of these four were lawyers
and the issue involved was one which call
ed for the elaboration of trained legal
minds. The fourth cabinet officer, Post
master-General Payne. has taken a
| prominent part in the preliminary con-
| ferences over the coal situation which
led up to the conference with the rail-
| road presidents and the miners repre-
| sentatives Friday and besides has had
| life long identification with corporate in
| terests which are involved in the present
question. The fact that Mr.. Payne also
| has been one of the closest advisers for
many years in the national councils of
| his party likewise is important in con-
| neCtion with the personnel of the confer
ence
| 1t began shortly after ten O'Clock this
morning, the time fixed by the President.
| When those who were to participate ar
| rived at the White House in drizzling
rain they found Surgeon General Rixey
of the navy, and DR.. Lung, the Press
dents physician. already there making
the morning call on the distinguished pa
tcnt. This caused delay of few min
utes. When the two physicians left it
was reported that the Presidents con-
dition was progressing satisfactorily and
there were no untoward developments.
The President in expressing his views
| at the outset of the conference talked
earnestly and showed deep feeling. His
voice at times could be heard down
stairs. Several times during the confer
cnce Secretary Cortclyou was summoned
into the room and directed to prepare
matters for the consideration of the
President and his advisers This WAS
taken to indicate that some action Of
one nature or another was about to be
| consumated
When the convention adjourned few
| minutes before one o'clock all those who
| had Joined in it declined to talk. Every
member of the cabinet and Colonel
| Wright, the only outsider who was pres
| ent, was pledged to tho President to alb
solute secrecy as to what had occurred
within the conference room.
The utmost efforts were made to guard
against publicity, just as the presidential
summons which called the conference
had been made in very quiet and care
fully guarded way. Not since the Span
ish war has there been such reticence
shown at a conference of such a char
acter as was observed to-day.
| In this state of absolute reticence OF
every one of the parties to the conference
it is almost impossible to do more than
draw the most general of conclusions as
to the nature of the proceedings, based
upon what preceded the meeting. The
known facts are that the President has
reached the conclusion that he has moth
ing to expect save refusal, from a fur
ther appeal to the coal operators and
therefore has decided to look for rcliei
from a situation which In his view is fas,
growing intolerahle, to the miners side
tie feels that he hardly can expect them
to make the sacrifice of all of their con-
tentions without holding out at least q
promise of some return. and the question
before hime is al to his ability to do this
He can pledge himself to appeal to Con
gress to examine into the justice of the
miners complaints and remedy them SC
far as lies In the power Of the legisla-
tive branch, backed by the earnest goot
. will of the executive. Also he can suggest
, to Governor Stone of PENNSYLVANIA thai
he cause the Pennsylvania Legislature
, likewise to make an inquiry, perhaps
Fastening the usual methods by calling
an extra session. But these pledges
would he given only on condition tina
the men go at once into the mines tC
get out with all speed the coal for which
, the people are suffering.
TO adopt this course means the con
, tinuance Of the policy of excrtng mora
. suasion to end the strike. 1t is certain
that thus far the President has not founc
single one of his constitutional ad
visors who could suggest any departur,
, from this policy; no one could find
method sanctioned by law or constitution
which promised relief and invited the us
/ of duress against either the operators o.
/ the miners.
So 1t s believed that to-day's confer
ence was called by the President will
4 the purpose OF putting in exact shap
4 the details of n plan conceived in III
rough outlines even before the departur
, of President Mitchell last Friday after
noon from the mixed conference. Tn
three hours spent in consultation to-da,
, were none too long to put into form tn
twin propositions; one to the miners or
a ganization and the other to Governo
Stone and the fact that Secretary Cor
:, telyou was called on to prepare one o
n more statements at the direction of tn
a President is taken as an indication tina
n messages were sent out at the end Of tn
conference to-day and that the reticenc
A Of all of the parties is explainablo per
a haps by their desire to avoid the dis
a courtesy OF publishing the nature o
these before they are received by tn
persons to whom they are addressed, a
well as by a wish to scape the compiled
ton Of the negotiations by heated publ
discussion at this stage. That the partie
= to the conference feel that they have &C
e complished something was made eviden
= by the expression of one of them of
@ | belief that the miners soon will he agai