New-York tribune., 1902-05-21
MINER.S WISH 10 SETTLE,
HOPE is PREVALENT THAT THE CIVIC
FEDERATION WILL EFFECT
ARRITRATION.
lRr TELEGRAPH 20 rHE rarRuyE.

Wikesbarre. Penn. MAY 2U-That President
Mitchell Of the United Mine Workers hopes for
some measure proposing arbitration before the
end of the week is certain. e received from
Ralph Easley, secretary cf the Civic Federation.
who visited him in Hazleton. such assurances
that he is inclined 10 believe that IN early op
portunity will he offered for settlement of the
strike. He is. however. reticent about publish
ing his views. He asked to-day:
IF at this stage of the affairs the Civic Fed
Grafton proposes arbitration Will You accept it,?
The proposition has not yet l~en made" he
replied and until IT is | cannot we'll say what
! would do"
Would YOU consent to arbtrators who are
af1a ted with neither the opera tors nor the
miners. would YOU desire man from each
side they to select a third he was asked.
That would have he decided after propo-
siton for arbitrs tion vas made" he answered.
He did not to discuss what might he done
before the week ended. and when asked If he did
not think the Civic Federation now endeav-
oring ia effect arbitration measures. said: j
have nothing to say about that"
1t is understood however. that there is such
hope for arbitration that no radical measures
viii he taken by the executive committee which
will meet tomorrow here: that conditions will
he allowed to remain as they until there is
no hope left for conciliatory measures or until
they adopted. and t,iat the district leaders
v III 30 everything they can 10 prevent out
breaks such occurred to-day at OlYphant.
if they have to allow few Washeries to
continue operations with non-union men
READY To ARRITRATE.
What encoura cement Mr.. Fasley has from the
operators is not known here. but that the mine
workers for arbitration there is no doubt
National president. district leaders minor off
GERS and the rank and file for anything that
will settle the strike peaceably and give them
some concession. larger now than was necessary
before A strike declared but small in pro
portion to what they originally asked The con-
fdenCe that the expectation Of arbitration in
spires is i'm the air. Mitchell is huoyant under
the cheering anticipation. He may postpone his
visit the West until il is decided, he may
not go West all if his presence i'm Ne@y-
York will aid the civic Federation To bring
about settlement.
Mitchell viii not admit that he has Yet re
Ceiycd call for national convention from any
soft coal districts. He expects them from MiChi-
gan and Kentucky. where there at present
wage troubles and where the workers no doubt
desire a national strike if II will give them
lief from their individual grievances but the
impression among mining men Is that there Is
not now. and will not be in the future. any
chance for a general soft coal strike There
may come the condition when some few districts
of the soft coal workers will join the anthracite
men on strike, not in sympathy. hut TO improve
their conditions; but in most of the soft
coal districts the men are satisfied. and, with
mines meaning better work and more pay for
them. they would fight against strike order
and refuse 10 obey if il included them.
Whether Mitchell believes that national
strike order would he successful he will not
say. but those who close to him believe that
he encoura ged the resolution asking for il only
as a wedge TO force the orera tors from their po-
sition.