Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1902-11-07
(rrom our regular correspondent
WASHINGTON, Oct. 80, 1902


WASHINGTON, Oct. 80, 1902.
The first formal meeting of the
anthracite Coal Strike Commission,
which took place last Monday, was
widely heralded as demonstrating the
success Of the Presidents arbitration
policy; as q matter of fact, although
the meeting only dealt with prelimi-
naries, there was much in it which
might be taken TO portend failure.
The most serious development was
the discovery that there were large
number OF operators in the anthracite
region who were not party to the
agreement to arbitrate and who were
not represented at the meeting. As
they own large number Of collieries
it will be practically impossible to ask
the railway Presidents 10 observe any
decision of the Commission not OBJ.
served by their competitors and there
fore the whole scccess Of the Commits
sion's work 10 threatened. II is even
claimed that the railway Presidents
have purposely rnislead the President
in regard to the proportion OF collieries
which they operate, with . view to
being able to ask him, when the Com
mission shall have rendered its find.
ings, to compel all the operators 10 oh.
serve them. That, the President would
have no power to do, and because it
would be unfair to compel one set of
operators to observe regulations not
compulsory with their competitors,
they would escape the fulfillment of
their promise to abide by the findings
of the Commission. Mr.. Mitchell said
that he had understood that all the
operators were party TO the agreement,
but, that Pres. Baer emphatically de-.
MED. He also stated that while no OBJ.
lection would be made to Mr.. Mitch.
ellis representing the miners a. .
whole he must not be regarded as the
/ President of the miners union. Mr..
Truesdale, OF the d. L. & w. Railway,
said that he hoped to effect a settle
ment of practically all the differences
between himself and his employees
through q committee 10 be appointed
by the latter and that only differencs 90
which could not be 90 reconciled
would be brought to the attention OF
the Commission. By this means it
was hoped to supplant Mitchell by 4
committee OF the miners own selec.
ton, aud thus eliminate him from the
proceedings in so far as the ID. l.. e. w.
was concerned, At least.
Attorney General Knox, doubtless,
greatly to the surprise of Senators
Hanna, Spooner and several others,
has found that the title to the Panama
canal property is perfectly clear and
now the government will bend its
energies to the negotiation OF . treaty
with Colombia. Such q treaty is made
extremely difficult by provisions in
the canal bill undoubtedly inserted for
that purpose. The bill provides for
absolute and perpetual sovereignty over
the zone of land through which the
canal will pass. This. according to
the Colombia constitution, cannot Be
granted. 1t was pointed out to Mr..
Spooner that such was the constitu.
ton of the United States OF Colombia
at the time he drafted his bill but he
would take no heed. Colombia offers
q lease for 100 years according to the
canal bill and there must be either q
change 10 the Colombian constitution
or further Congressional legislation
here, an end which the opponents OF
any canal desire. " il will give an op.
portunity for postponiug further &C.
ton. in the interests of the railroads.
It may be eaid that the United States
can force Colombia to accept it's terms
or else build the canal by way of Costa
Rica and Nicaragua but in the latter
instance the same obstacle would be
met. None of the countries can bar.
ter away . part of their territory.
From Omaha come q startling story
OF forgery. 1t is alleged that Repre-.
sentative Mercer has been reprintinp
pages of the Congressional Record after
altering the proceedings to suit his
own ends and has been sending them
out under his frank. 1t 10 stated that
Mercer is sending out an alleged ex.
cerPt OF the Record which Representa-