The Lamar register., 1902-10-08

washington, Oct. Sine great eoai
conference between the President and
representatives of the operators ana
miners came to an end at the tempor-
ary White House. facing Lafayette
square, at 4:55 o'clock this afternoon,
with failure to reach an agreement.
And apparently the rock upon which
the conference split was the recognition
of the miners union.
The President had urged the contend
ing parties to cease strife in the inter-
ests of the public welfare.
The miners. through the president OF
their union, had expressed willing
ness to submit the differences to an ar
bitration tribunal to be named by the
President and to enter into an agree
ment to abide by terms fixed by the ar
bitration for a period of from one 10
five years.
The immediate parties to the strug-
gle say they will continue as hereto
fore. What course the administration
will take next no one is prepared to
say. One of the operators, as he left
the White House, was asked regarding
this and replied:
"If anyone knows what the President
will do next that is more than l know.
rouIlcth IeIl, lhtluuihS thS ~S~
dent, were in lie second-story front
room at the temporary White House
during the momentous conference.
President Mitchell and three of his dis
trict leaders represented the miners,
and five railroad men and one indepen-
dent operator the employers. with the
President were Attorney General Knox,
Commissioner of Labor Wright and Sec
retary Cortelyou. All the cabinet save
the attorney general kept aloof during
the conference but between the two
meetings and afterward several OF the
presidents advisers called upon him
and talked over the situation.
The employers, through the Presi-
dents of the railroad companies and
prmoinent independent mine operator.
had squarely refused arbitration; had
denounced the miners labor organiza-
ton as lawless and anarchistic body.
with which they could and would have
no dealings; had demanded federal
troops to insure complete protection to
workers and their families in the min
ing region and court proceedings
against the miners union. and had Of
fered, II the men returned to work. to
submit grievances at individual col
lieries to the decision of the judges OF
the court of common pleas for district
of Pennsylvania, in which the colliery
was located.
There the matter closed.
Tonight both the miners and the
operators are still in the city. but to-
morrow they will return to their sew
eral localities. each saying at late
hour that the struggle will continue.
At the temporary White House to-
night the following official statement
was given out:
The conference opened at IL O'Clock,
when the operators and representatives
of the miners were presented to the
President.
The President at the outset ex-
pressed his hearty thanks for their at
tendance and stated that owing to his
peculiar relations to the situation he
felt that he should make to them
very careful statement of his position
and of his intentions in asking them
to meet.
The Presidents statement follows:
Il wish to call your attention to the
fact that there are three parties affect
ed by the situation in the anthracite
trade-the operators, the miners and
the general public. l speak for neither
the operators nor the miners, but for
the general public. The question at is
sue which led to the situation affect
Immediately the parties concerned
the operators and the miners; but the
situation itself vitaly affects the public.
LAS long as there seemed to be
reasonable hope that these matters
could be adjusted between the parties,
it did not seem proper for me to inter-
vene in any way. / disclaim any right
or duty to intervene in this way upon
legal grounds, or upon any official re-
lott hot Tn tho citnatinn hIIf
the urgency and the terrible nature of
the catastrophe impending over
large portion of our people in the
shape of a winter fuel famine impel
me- after much anxious thought, to be-
lieve that my duty requires me to use
whatever influence l personally can
bring to effect settlement of the situ-
alton which has become literally intol-
cradle
II wish to emphasize the character
of the situation and to say that its
gravity is such that l am constrained
urgently to insist that each one of you
realize the heavy burden of RESPONSE
bility upon you. We are upon the
threshold of winter, with an already
existing coal famine, the future terrors
of which we can hardly yet appreciate.
The evil possibilities are so far reach
ing. so appalling that it seems to me
that you are not only justified in
sinking, but required to sink for the
time being any tenacity as to your re-
spective claims in the matter at issue
between you.
'In my judgment the situation i'm
peratively requires that you meet upon
the common plane of the necessities of
the public. With all the earnestness
that there is in me. l ask that there
be an immediate resumption of opera
tions in the coal mines in some such
way as will without a days unneces-
sary delay meet the crying needs of
the people.