The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-10-04

fected by the situation in the anthracite trade: The operators. the miners and seemed to be a reasonable hope that these operators nor the miners. but for the gen. eral public. The questions at issue which | led to the situation affect immediately the parties concerned-the operators and the | miners; but the situation itself vitally affects the public. As long as there seemed to be a reasonablehope that these matters could be adjusted between the parties, 1t did not seem proper to me tc intervene in any way.
 "I disclaim any right or duty to inter- vehe in this way upon lesal~grounds er upon any official relation that I bear te the situation; but the urgency and the terrible nature of the catastrophe i'm. pending over large portion of our peo' pie in the shape of a winter fuel famine impels me- afters much anxious thought l to believe that my duty requires me tS use whatever influence I personally car to bring to an end a situation which has become literally intolerabie.
 "I wish 60 emphasize the character oi the situation and to say that its gravity Is such that l am constrainedsrgSntiy to insist that each one of you. realise the heavy burden of responsibility upor him. We are upon the threshold oi winter with an already existing coa famine the future terrors of which We caF | hardly yet appreciate. The evil possi- bilities are so o-far-reaching., so appalling l that it seems to me that yun are not only justified in sinlsing,~ but required sto's sink l for the time being, any tenacity, as tc your respective claims in the matter aa l Issue between you. .-
 "In my Judgment the situation impera' lively requires that you meet upon the common plane of the necessities or tht public. With all the earnestness there Is in me l ask that there be an I'm mediate resumption of operations in tn! coal uaifies in some such way as VII | without e days unnecessary delay. mee the crying needs of the people. l do no invite a discussion of your respective claims and positions. I appeal to youl patriotism, to the spirit that sinks per sonal conscientious and makes indivdua sacrifices fer the general good.
 Almost immediately after the President had closed Mir. Mitchell arose and or behalf of the miners offered to submit the differences to arbitration. saying: MITCHELL PROPoSEs
 TO ARBITRATE MATTER
 ''Mr. President, I am much impressed with what'you say. l am much impress ed with the gravity of the situation. we feel that we are not responsible for thi! terrible state Of affairs. We are willing to meet tho gentlemen representing tho coal operators to try to adjust our diff fevences among ourselves. If we canno adjust them that way, MT. President, wt are willing that you shall name a tribu nal who shall deteggnine the issues tha' have resulted in the strike, and If tbt gentlemen representing rtiae operators wil accent the award or decision of such tribunal. the miners will willingly accep' 1t. even If it is against their claims The operators looked surprised. but be- fore any reply could be made, President Roosevelt said he desired>that both par ties take the matter under consideration and meet him again at 3 o'clock. The hrs' session of the conference lasted less than fifteen minutes. The, operators were driven to their pri- vate cars in the railroad yards and MT Mitchell and his. party returned to theif hotel Both parties immediately set to | work to prepare statements in reply to the Presidents suggestions.
 c. D. WRIGHT CALLS
 0 MTHE PRESIDENT Mr. Carroll D. Wright arrived about five minutes of and he was followed a few moments later by President Basr and two of his colleagues, They had hardly entered the building before Mir. Mitchell and his associates appeared. It was z quarter past o'clock when the three remaining representatives of the rail' roads appeared in the persons of Messrs Truesdale Thomas and Wilcox. Thert was some comment at the unusual delay of the party in responding to an appoint fnent made by the President. It appears however, that there was an excuse for STtt.z al faf hal l spent the time between the two confer ences hard at work in their special cars comparing statements of their individual views to be submitted at the second con- ference There was but one available typewriter in the train and consequently a great deal of delay occurred before all of the statements could be completed and for this reason President Baer, with MT Fowler and MT. Markle, preceded the other members of their party to the White House to explain the reasons for the delay.
 President Mitchell and his associates after the conference at their hotel, walk ed over to the headquarters of the American Federation of Labor and were closeted with President Gompers anl Vice President James Duncan ofsthe Fed eratIon and John 3fuR oiland. President of tho Allied Mechanics. until shortly befosS 8 o'clock, when Mir. Mitchell, in company with Msssrs Nichols. Fahy and DubY were driven to the White House MT. Mitchell was asked if they had agreed upon any plan by which they hoped to effect an understanding witt the coal operators, bue he declined t make any statement
 Az soon as all the parties to the con ference had arrived at the White House the discussion of the situation, at S;1' D. m., was resumed.
 Tho operators decided to make separate responses but before doing so had dis. cussion of the general teaor of the state ments they would make. It Is understood that President Baer communicated his statement to persons in New York oveI the long distance telephone before read ing Ii to the President. There was only one stenographer on the special tralr ! and the time consumed in dictating and preparing the statement caused tive | or the operator sto be fifteen minutes late for the afternoon session of the confer ence All the other parties to it were on hand at o'clock.
 CONFERENCE IN
 THE AFFIRM DON At 315 the afternoon proceedings begaA President Baer Of the Reading opening 1t with the statement setting forth the views of those he represented. He was followed by President Mitchell of the , miners union. Then MT. Thomas of the : Eris followed and was succeeded by Mr