The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-04-07
Hard Coal Operators Will Not
Reply to. Arbitration Pro-
posaI Till Monday.
WINDER MAKES AN OFFER
He AGREES TO LEAVE DIFFER
ENcEs IN SOFT COAL FIELDS TO
BOARD OF ARBITRATION -
MITCHELL RETicENT.
IPublishers Pressl

New York, April 0.-Ihe supreme
question as to whether the operators
in the anthracite coal regions would
agree to submit to arbitration the
grievances In the hard coal districts,
and the offer of the Ohio bituminous
coal operators to submit their griev-
ances with the miners to arbitration,
were the main events in the coal
strike agitation today.
While no official announcement has
been made as to whether or not the
anthracite operators would agree to
the miners plan or arbitration, 1t is
believed that they will not, but Will
issue no formal statement in the mat
ter of arbitration until the committee
OF the miners and operators conferr-
ed on Monday next.
Officials Will Meet.
1t is the general belief in financial
circles that a meeting of the presi-
dents of the coal carrying roads,
headed by George f. Baer, of the
Philadelphia and Reading, the general
managers of the various coal carry
ing roads and the independent opera.
tors will be held before the confer
ence next Monday and that the propo-
sition of the miners, which came as
bombshell in the camp of the oper-
ators yesterday, will be formally re-
jected.
A representative of the operators
said this afternoon that the matter
was too important a one to be dispos-
ed of without referring it to all the
parties concerned. and that the belief
that the entire matter is TO be decid-
ed by the subcommittee of seven of
the operators, is erroneous.
Miners Are Confident.
AS for the miners. there was a very
noticeable feeling of confidence in
their headquarters at the Ashland
House that the arbitration plan pro-
posed by President Mitchell yester-
day would be acceded to by the mine
owners and that the threatened strike
would be averted by this expedient.
Mr. Mitchell declared himself salts
fed that the operators would decide
to accept the arbitration plan and as
serted that he would never have pro-
posed to- submit the miners demands
to arbitration had he not firmly be.
lieved the operators would assent to
the proposition.
The members of both the scale com
mittee and the subcommittee of the
miners held short session today
and discussed the arbitration plan
Many of the members left for home
late tonight and will not return here
until Monday. ...
Winder Wires Mitchell.
John III. Winder, general manager
of the Sunday Creek Coal Company
OF Columbus. o.. and president of the
Ohio Operators Association, sent 9
telegram to President Mitchell this
afternoon, asking him If he would
agree to submit the differences be
tween the soft coal operators and the
miners to a board or arbitration. Mr.
Winder also telegraphed President
Roosevelt that the Ohio operators are
willing to settle the strike in the bi
luminous field on the terms Presi
dent Mitchell proposed yesterday t
the anthracite operators.
Mitchell Makes Reply.
President Mitchell sent the follow
Ing reply to MIR. Winder:
Telegram forwarded from Indiana
polls received New York City. hav,
no authority either to accept or de
cline the proposition you make to ar
bitrate differences between bitumi
nous operators and miners. The inter
national executive board United Min,
Workers of America will convene a
Indianapolis on the 18th inst, a
which time your telegram will be lai,
before it and the decision communi
Gated to YOU"
The striking similarity of the word
ing of the letter of President winde
and the proposition made by MI
Mitchell to the anthracite operator
yesterday was commented on by tn
miners. II was evident that the sof
coal operators were trying to put tn
arbitration shoe on. the foot Of tn
miners to see how 1t would fit.
President Mitchell's only commen
was that he admired Mr.. Winder'
literary style.