The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-12
MINERS TO REOFPER DEMANDS
MODIFIED AND TO BE APPROVED
BY STRIKE COMMISSION.
Arguing That the Operators ~shouldn's
. Object, a. They Haye Expressed Their
Confidence in This Body-No Haste to
End Observation-Disclosures Reply To-day

VuJect, ~ huey have Expressed Tnelf
Confidence in This Body-No Haste "a
End Neg Miners Reply To-day
The new proposition OF the anthracite
operators which, IL accepted, leaves the
miners In a worse position than II they
had accepted the original offer OF the
operators to continue the agreement which
expired on March 81 for three years longer,
was a surprise to Mitohell's committee,
and when his scale committee met yester-
day in the Ashland House its members
were more or less in the air as to what &C.
ton to take.
The committee spent several hours con-
sidering an answer to be submitted to the
operators at the conference to-day. IL
was stated afterward on good authority
that the answer Of the miners will be:
"We again hereby submit respectfully
to you u original propositions, subject
to the approval Of the Anthracite Strike
Commission which you have proposed"
The miners, however, it was said, are
willing to modify these original demands
somewhat. One modification, it was said,
will be that they will not ask the agree
ment to be with the United Mine Workers
of America, but simply with the anthracite
mine workers. A second modification will
be that in the check of system the assess
ments will be made on those only who are
willing to be assessed, and q third will be
that they are willing to allow the Anthracite
Strike Commission to Ak the time for which
the agreement will be operative.
Mitchell, in case his proposition to the
operators is accepted, will, it is said, agree
IN Ioolaro "a the a,sraoe;oa - ,-o.l, 80
once.
1t will be argued on behalf of the miners,
it was said, that as the operators were will
ing to AVE arbitrated by the Anthracite
Strike Commission the question whether
or not there Is any question not covered
by the last award which is arbitrable, the
operators therefore must have confidence
in the Anthracite Strike Commission,
hence they ought to have no objection
to refer to this commission the original
proposition of the miners, especially in its
modified form.
When the scale committee met many OF
the members were very angry at the ar
of the union contained in the
protest Of the independent operators.
They declared that it was in bad taste for
the operators to give it out for publication
when negotiations looking to a settlement
were going on. Members of the scale
committee also said they had expected
that a settlement would AVE been reached
Tuesday, and they were very much
disappointed.
Mitchell was asked yesterday il the
attack on the union by the independent
operators would be any factor in the reply
the miners to the operators to-day.
Not in the least he said, we will pay
no attention to it at all. 1t Is not worth
discussing"
None of the operators would talk yes
terday on the probable outcome Of the
conference to-day. 1t was learned I'M
however, that the operators
will give the miners as much time as they
to deliberate. No attempt will be
to fill the places of the strikers until
he miners themselves voluntarily declare
he negotiations Off. Until then the oper-
tors will consider that there is a truce in
as far as they are concerned,
hough the suspension of work by the order
II Mitchell still continues.
More details as to the previous meetings
the miners and operators COM
nittees Of seven were given out at the Ash
uiiA lObFC ~ wac pdid tIuI ltClNlcuG
)ettrey of the Hazleton district in making
IN argument for higher wages for the
miners asked President Thomas Of the
Iehigh Valley Railroad;
do you expect any decent American
workman to try and support himself and
hose dependent on him for 81 20 a day?"
Il wouldn't care at this time to go into
he question Of how we can expect men to
FORK around the collieries for 81. 20 a day"
lr. Thomas is said to have replied. Il
ill, however, say that l myself have worked
the mines for less than that n was glad
0 get the chance to do 80"
Dettrey and Nichols admitted at the
Lshland House that this conversation took
lace. II was also said that one Of the
istrict presidents said jocularly at this
that he would be glad II he had
salary.
The failure of the miners and anthracite
to come to any agreement on
tuesday, was responsible, representatives
Z the soft coal operators said, for a second
djournment until Tuesday next of the
,int conference Of the soft coal operators
nd miners in the Clearfield district Of Penn
The Clearfeld operators will
ut of deciding as to What they will do
ntil they know definitely whether there will
3 an anthracite strike or not. Then they
ill probably make a settlement with the
One OF the soft coal operators
lid that the steamship companies Of this
ty. which are supplied with soft coal from
Garfield, are badly off for coal at present.
The New York representative OF one Of
e independent operators who signed the
'otest against the union said yesterday
at he did not believe that there would be
anthracite strike Asked for his reasons,
said:
@The main reason is that the miners would
badly whipped. The strike would not ,
st long and Mitchell himself knows that !
g strikers could not possibly win." .