New-York tribune., 1902-05-07
STRIKE LIKELY TO COME.
Continued from first pnge.

must have concessions in the form of in
crease OF wages or a reduction of the hours of
labor"
Mr.. Sargent said that If reduction Of even
half an hour in each days work had been offered
the miners strike might have been avoided.
AS 1t was Mr.. Mitchell had absolutely nothing
to base an anti-strike argument on.
The report that a conference Of anthracite op-
orators had been held in this city, at which con-
cessions had been agreed to by President Baer
of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad, was
denied by President Truesdale Of the Delaware
Lackawanna and Western Railroad yesterday.
He hoped the miners would not be so foolish as
to strike. he said.
IF there is a strike" he continued. 1T will at
first tie us up pretty well. The miners demands
are utterly unreasonable just now, and we
could not see our way TO acceding to any OF
them We have been mining coal right along
and are in fair shape"
Mr.. Mitchell started for Scranton by the Della
ware. Lackawanna and Western train leaving
Jersey City at p. m. He was accompanied by
President Fahey, of Anthracite District No
Before he went away he said he did not believe
that j. Pierpont Morgan had been asked to try
TO stop a strike
Oscar S. Straus e-chairman of the Ma
uonal Civic Federation, and member Of the
special committee on concliation and arbitra-
tion, said yesterday that. had IL not been for
the good offices of the Civic Federation and the
cooperation Of the labor leaders of that COM
mittee, the coal strike would have been de-
clared shortly after the meeting held by the
coal miners at Shamol1in six weeks ago. The
conciliation committee had succeeded in bring
ing about the two conferences that have since
been held between the presidents of the four
roads, on the one side and President Mitchell
and his committee, on the other
Mr. Straus added that the public entitled
to know that the question at issue had nothing
to do with the recognition of the union The
miners represented by Mitchell had asked for
an increase in pay per ton. and a fixed wage
schedule and that the coal be weighed at the
mouth of the mine, so that the net weight Of
the ton for which they secured pay should more.
approach n Of
these matters had been discussed at the various
meetings in an apparent spirit of mutual con-
sideration. The operators, however. had alb
solutely declined to make any concession on
any of these points.
Mr. Straus, upon being asked whether he
thought a strike would take place answered
that he felt that the refusal of the operators
thus far to make any concession. and returning
an absolute No to Mr.. Mitchell and his col
leagues would. in his opinion, not only lead to
strike. but to most determined one-one. he
feared, that would extend beyond the anthra-
cite coal regions Mr.. Straus added that he
reared that the presidents OF those roads, VINO
naturally intent upon their own specific
interests had failed to grasp the far reaching
influence on the country's present prosperity a
determine strike, with its very probable rami-
hcdtions, would have. Otherwise. a more
nest effort would have been made. in view OF
this public interest. at least, to make same con-
cessions so that ii would be in the power of the
presidents of the coal miners association TO
avert the strike. Mr. Straus said his inveStga-
ton of the subject indicated that this strike
would affect probably a tie up of one, If not two,
of the railroads running into that region besides
causing q cooperating strike in the bituminous
regions. with their three hundred thousand
wockers.
Upon being asked whether, in his opinion.
there was yet any possibility OF averting the
strike Mr.. Straus said not unless some reason
msnds, or unless both sides should consent to
leave the whole matter to competent arbitra-
ton. The Civic Federation has up to the pres
ent time exhausted its good offices; it has used
its best endeavors toward conciliation.