Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-16
COMES BACKIfAT BAER
CIVIC FEDERATION REPLIES TO
READING PRESIDENT.
Offer Tardily Made br Him Last Week
Would Have Averted Disastrous
Mining Struggle.

The National Civic Federation, Of which
Senator Hanna is president, issued yester-
DAY statement in reply.to President Baer,
spokesman Of the anthracite coal roads, who
in his recent speech before the coal strike
commission criticised the officers Of the con-
Citation committee Of the federation for
their neglect to convene the committee 10
hear the report Of the failure of negotia-
lions to avert the strike.
The statement recites the proceedings OF
the two conferences Of operators and min
ers held In the rooms of the federation on
March ~ and April a. showing that on
each occasion both sides refused to make
any concessions.
The second conference being on the point
OF adjourning without any tangible results"
the statement continues lit was proposed
by the Cancellation committee that 4 COM
mittee OF the coal miners meet a committee
OF the operators and DISCUSS :ne matter
further with the hope that by that time a
face-to-face conference would lead to a sat
1sfactory adjustment. AS none Of the con-
Citation committee would be present at this
last conference, 1t was suggested that a re-
port OF Its result be made to the committee.
Committee Meeting Useless.
This conference resulted as the preced-
ing ones, no concession being made by
either party. At Its close. which was
Wednesday afternoon. Mr.. Mitchell notified
the secretary Of the federation that the
conference had disagreed, AMI asked when
the Cancellation committee could lie called
together to hear the report The officers de-
cided that 1t was useless to call the COM
mittee together simply to receive such re-
port, and resolved to redouble efforts. If
possible to aid the parties IN coming to
some more hopeful conclusion.
"A meeting of the committee was held
that night and program for definite work
mapped out. in accordance with which two
members OF the committee called the next
morning upon the operators and urged them
to grant per cent advance. the commit
tee feeling confident that such a concession
would be accepted This was peremtorily
refused, the operators stating with empha-
sis that they would make no concessions
whatever: that. from their advices, they
were convinced that the miners would not
strike. and that. even If they did, the
quicker this thing was fought out the bet
ter
From Thursday noon until Saturday
morning, when Mr.. Mitchell issued his call
for the miners executive committee to
meet. no less than eight conferences were
held with the operators and the persons
holding the controlling interests in the coal
roads The Cancellation committee had en-
listed the active cooperation Of many Of
the most influential men in New York and
Philadelphia in the effort to secure even
the slightest concession, but to all en-
treaties. from whattver source came the
stereotyped answers: I'VE will not concede
a single thing, No concessions whatever
&c 1t was plain that any further effort
along that line would be simply useless.
Sought Conservative Action.
1.-THE Cancellation committee then directed
it's efforts toward securing conservative &C
ton by the miners, The 1Hazleton conven-
ton was called for May az. and an appeal
was laid before 1t by President Mitchell and
its acceptance urged by him in vigorous
speech. AS is well known. the convention
did not accept President MitchelEs advice,
but decided to strike. 80.
THE committee feels convinced that If
the coal road presidents had made the con-
cessions in March last which Mr. Baer Of
fered last week in hissclosing address be-
fore the anthracite coal commission, or
would have consented as urged by our
committee. to leave the whole question to
an impartial arbitration. whether the arbi-
traitors were selected from the members of
the civic federation or In any other manner,
the terrible sufferings. loss Of life and dis
turbance of our commercial interests at
tendant upon this most serious and embit-
tered conflict in our Industrial history
would have been averted."