The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1902-10-17
MINERS may REjLCI OFFER
Operators Proposition Not Sat-
,isfactory to the Men. ~
MITCHELL MAINTAINS SILENCE.
VIII Confer With Lieutenants Today
and May Submit Counter PROPOSE
tion for Strike Settlement to Presi.
dent Roosevelt.

tion for Strike Settlement to Presi.
dent Roosevelt.
Wilkesbarre, Pa, Oct. 15.-From a
thorough canvass of the situation as
1t exists today, there Is every indica-
tion that the new arbitration plan pro-
posed by the presidents of the coal
companies for ending the miners
strike will not be accepted in it's pres
sent form. There is division of opin-
ion among the strikers, but there is
{ no doubt that a majority feel that thes1
offer to have the president of the Unit
ed States select an arbitration CON-
mission along the lines suggested by
the operators is not fair and that it
unduly limits the president in making
up the board. The miners, it is safe to
say, will abide the advice of their ma
tional president, in whose judgment
they have the utmost confidence.
President Mitchell declines to say
+ how he personally looks upon the
4 proposition, but he gave to the press
the following statement:
MitchelPs Statement.
II fully appreciate with what anx-
iety the people of our country are
waiting the end Of the coal strike.
The coal operators have not addressed
the miners union or its officers in
making their public statement. It is
therefore i'm possible for me to state
the attitude of the miners at this time.
.SI am now, as have always been, deep
+ ~ solicitous of the interests of the
Z public and the welfare of the mine
workers who have been on strike for
the past five months. A formal state
4 ment defining our position and inten.
! tions will be issued just as soon as
we are in possession Of the full mean
ing OF the proposition of the oper-
ators.''.
This statement was made by him
Y after the correspondents representing
newspapers all over the country, called
on him in a body and informed him
that the general public desired to have
an answer to the proposition Of the
n operators. After giving it he was
Fl asked many questions regarding the
Z attitude of the men and the probable
"a itys Of the acceptance or rejection of
II the new offer, but he had no reply to
y make to any of these questions. His
attention was called to the fact that
4 most of the information from Wash
ington indicated that the proposition
would be accepted and that the strike
was near an end, but he stoutly main.
tanned that neither his officers nor
rank and file of the men had done any
thing to cause such an impression to
/ 60 out. yz3s
Not Dealing In Gold Bricks.
4 The district presidents also main.
tain silence as to their personal opin,
n ion on the proposition, excepting Pres.
5s ident Fahey. who gave an inkling as
to how he viewed the new turn of af.
u fairs. In reply to a query, he said;
THE strike cannot be settled with.
N out the consent of the men, We are
not dealing in gold bricks of any kind ;
and you can make any deduction from
this that you want. Z
s5s$ There will be conference today
@ between Mr.. Mitchell, the three dis
trict presidents and Secretary Treas
urer w Wilson. It is fully expected that
the sentiment OF all the strikers will
5SS be known today and that action will
81 be taken accordingly. There is tall
OF q convention being called, but there
IS nothing definite on which to base
81 this talk. When Mr.. Mitchell was
asked ifSshe and the district officers
had power to end the strike, he sale
ss that 1t is q rule Of the organization
that no settlement can be made by The
s858 officers Of the union without the con
sS sent Of delegate convention. It Ii
\ practically certain that Mr.. Mitchell: !:
advice; will be followed In the confer
& ence. While he has not said a wore
5sa as to what he viii do, It is freely pre-
dicted BY those who nderstand th'
situation that he will advise a refusa
Of the propositi ton. "a
The rank and file OF the mineri
view the new proposal in differen
lights. Those who are opposed to &C
cepting the new offer, look upon th,
sss operators, latest move as s counter
4 sss nroposition to MI. Mi itchell's IS offer t,
9kS arbitrate, made M# III III the temporar,
sg.S white house at Washing gton. The,
compare aIne 8i~O SOllsss lsa 1iiu $plehjss "
at they allege to be many flaws
Their greatest objection to It is tha
I'D operators dictate to the presiden
as to from what class Of men he sshal
select the arhitrators and they charg
the operators with lack Of faith IN th
president when they Do not give shir
sa free hand ito pick the men he wants
Tlie arbitratfon talk has acted as 1
check upon the movement Of men II
turning to work The prospect for
coal supply to meet the rap lilly q
reaching cold Weathe IS by nttn1ean
briigh II the miners sl,cal aeceI
the arbitration splan Of the operator'