The Washington times., 1902-10-04
BUT ONE CABINET member
ATTENDS CONFERENCE
Attorney General Knox and Commits
sioner Carroll D. Wright Present as
Mr.. Roosevelt's Advisers.

Attorney General Knox was the only
Cabinet officer present at the confer
ence He, with Secretary Cortelyou and
Carroll d. Wright. the Commissioner of
Labor, acted as the Presidents. advis-
ers. They remained with the PresideLt
several minutes after the conference
came to an end. 1t was important that
Attorney General Knox should be pres
ent, because any future action on the
part of the Administration might fall
under his department.
Although it has been declared by
many lawyers an absurd proposal to
appoint receivers for the railway COM
panies and coal trust on the ground that
their business has proved disastrous TO
commerce and industry in general, it is
still held by other able legal talent that
inquiry into the Federal laws may de-
velop feasible and legal process by
which the district attorneys IN Penn
sylvania could take charge of the coal
mines and force transportation.
Attorney General Hopeful.
Comments ON the future action
of the Administration are generally
withheld, especially because officials
have hopes that settlement of the
strike arranged by the representatives
now only a question of short
time. Attorney General Knox said
that he had hopes of a settle
ment Beyond this he would volunteer
no expression, except that the disputing
| conferees had failed to reaeh an agree
| was no reason to believe that the men
present today would again consult the
President at formal conference
| Further aggressiveness on the part of
the President is at present only a subject
of conjecture He established the follow
| ing: That the railway companies and the
mine proprietors are willing to submit
| each controversy between individual min
ers and employers to the judge of the
court in the district where the disputants
live, and that, by the proposal made to
| the President, the laboring men are will
ing to submit the dispute to board of
arbiters or tribunal appointed by the
President. In a sense both of these
schemes amount to arbitration.
Mitchell Well Treated.
Reports were spread broadcast yes
terday forenoon that Mr. Mitchell had
departed from the White House indie-
nant on account of the treatment Of
the operators. But with authority this
has been contradicted. il being added
that the personal interchange of oppos-
ing views was as cordial as possible.
and that each man bade the President
good-by with hearty handshake.
Carroll d. Wright, United States Com
missioner of Labor. arrived in Wash
ington early yesterday morning. He
Travelled 500 miles from Massachusetts :
to comply with the wishes of the Presi-
dent. Having been assigned to in
vestigate and report upon the coal
strike several weeks ago, The President
felt that Commissioner Wright would
be valuable adviser at the conference.
A. ]. Cassatt. president of the Penn
sylvania Railroad, and r. NJ. olyphaut.
president of the Delaware and Hudson
Railway, were the only men originally
invited who did not attend he confer
ence. They sent excuses that unusual !
business demanded their attention. M-.
Olyphant was represented by David
Wilcox, vice president of the Delaware
and Hudson Railroad.
In his talk with the President prior to