The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1902-11-15
TIE UNION IS NON GRATA.
The Anthracite Coal Mine Operas
tors All Say They Will
Have None of 1t.
REPLIES OF FIVE MORE COMPANIES.
They All Say They VIII Resist y"
IN. Utmost Every Effort to Make
the Recognition of the ohite"
Mine workers an Issue In the
Arbitration.

Washington, Nov. 13,-That the an
tlracite coal mine owners VIII resist
10 the utmost every effort to make
the recognition of United Mine work
ers of America an issue in the arpl-
tration which is now in progress Is
made evident by the replies 10 the
statement of President John MITCHELL
of the miners organization, when mas
been filed with the strike COMMISSION
There are five of these answers IN au-
dition to that of President Baer,
which was given out Tuesday, ana all
dwell with especial emphasis ana
marked unanimity on this point. They
also agree in resisting the demands
of the miners for an increase OF pay
for piece work, reduction OF hours
for time work and for the weighing
rather than measurement OF coal.
Recorder Wright left for the an
thracite regions Wednesday, taking
these replies with him. In addition TO
the statement made for the Reading
company by President Baer, the list
comprises the replies of the Delaware
| g. Hudson Co., the Delaware d Lacka-
wanna, the Lehigh Valley, the Penn
sylvania and the Scranton Coal Co.
The reply for the Delaware q Lack
nwanna company is signed by W. II.
Truesdale, president of the company,
who says that the company owns 10
anthracite collieries and employs H.
600 workmen in this branch of its
business. Mr.. Truesdale like Mr. Baer,
objects to making the recognition OF
the union one of the issues to be con-
sidered by the commission, saying
that in the proposition made by the
company for arbitration one OF the
express conditions was that 1.-The find
| ings of the commission should gov
ern the conditions Of employment be-
tween it and its employees"
He adds: "rhis company unequivo-
cally asserts that it will under no
condition recognize or enter into any
agreement with the association
known as the United Mine Workers OF
America or any branch thereof. Nor
| will it permit said association or Its
| officers to dictate the terms and con-
| ditions under which it shall conduct
| Its business"
Referring TO the recent strike, Mr..
Truesdale says that he is reliably IN
| formed that so per cent. Of It's emf
| ployes were opposed TO the strike,
but were forced TO enter upon 1t by
| majority vote OF the mine workers
In other fields. Mr.. Truesdale fol-
lows closely the lines OF Mr.. Baer's
| argument as to the dissmilarity OF
the work in the anthracite mines and
that in the bituminous mines. He de-
clares II is impossible to adopt uni
form rate to be paid to the miner for
unit of coal mined at all mines The
| declaration Is also made that the an
thracitc miners, rs n arule, do NOT
work Ms many hours u day as do the
bituminous miners, and the opinion
~ advanced that If the wages of the
anthracite miners had been less than
that Of other workingmen they would
have found employment elsewhere,
which they did not do so. Under the
point Of general prosperity he says
that:
prior TO the introduction Of agl-
tators and mischief makers the an
thracitc workers We're, on an average,