The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-04-11
MITCHELL PLAN
IS NOT ACCEPTED
Anthracite Operators Unwilling
to Reopen Questions They
Regard as Settled.
"OPEN SHOP" is INVOLVED
COUNTER PROPOSITION MADE TO
THE MINERS.

New York, April 1O.-A counter propo-
sition was made today by the anthracite
coal operators at their meeting with the
representatives of the United Mine Work
ers- Shis proposition rejects the arbitra-
ton plan offered by John Mitchell, pres
ident of the miners. and instead suggests
The anthracite coal commission of 1902
should be requested TO reconvene and
consider whether any circumstances have
arisen since April !, 1903, which would
Justify modification of its award of
ing subjects:
First. wages; second. as to adjustment
or complaints through the Cancellation
Any new award of the commission shall
ne binding for a period of three years
The joint conference adjourned after hav-
ing been in session about half an hour.
to meet again Thursday.
Reply of the Operators.
The reply of the operators to the arbi-
tration offer Of the United Mine Work
Your proposal, as we understand, even
involves the submission by us of the
question Of our making an agreement with
10 the exclusion of the non-union work
ers-a question which we did not submit
reasons then stated. in which we were
fully justified by that commission.
The very question that YOU have pre-
scented was. in some form or other after
careful Investigation passed upon by the
dHIDIdGlIe SIflKe cOInTnlSSlOn-a commits
sion composed of DISTINGUISHED parties.
The award it made has been faithfully
lived up to-
Expected Permanent Award.
Although the duration of the award
was limited to the 1st Of April. 1906. ii
public, that the principles upon which it
was made would be permanent and con-
SIIuinS- nat expectation was JuStltled
because the commission in it's hearings
and in its award was guided by the pres
ident'S expressed desire that it should
endeavor TO establish the relations be-
tween the wage workers in the anthra-
cite coal fields on a just and permanent
I'VE cannot assent to reopen the fun
damental questions decided by the anthra-
lated principles and rules of right to
govern the relations between employee and
employer which have received the hearty
assent OF all good citizens of the land.
important Question Involved.
Moreover. the decision of these ques-
lions necessarily involved the further and
most important one of all, that is in
crease in the price of coal to the consum-
ing public A board of arbitration. con-
sisting largely of your representative
and ours. would hardly be considered by
the public, proper one TO pass on this
The reply is signed by George F. Baer,
w: n Truesd 1a;y,7 J. B. Kerr David VIII
Z Cake, committee, New York, April 9,
= Letter From independents.
At the close of the meeting a copy of
letter from independent operators who
o. held meeting at Wilkesbarre yesterday
TO the operators committee was made
public. The letter expressed the cOnviC-
ton of the Independent operators that any
agreement to arbitrate with the United
Mine Workers would be an unjustifiabIe
surrender to anarchy and mob violence.
The letter contained the following:
I'VE contend that it would be better
that our mines shall lie idle for wears
than that we should accede to the high-
wayman-like demands of an organization
that lacks either the wish or the ability
10 restrain its members from acts of VIC
lence. that would disgrace the much-de-
spised Russien.''
AS to Arbitration.
The independents wrote that il the CD
orators committee could decide. in defer
ence to public opinion upon some offer of
arbitration. that arbitration should be by
the same body that met in 1902 and 1903
and that there should be no submission
of questions already adjudiCated. like
the closed shop, collection Of dues, or the
suggestion of any term less than five
years during which the award shall be
binding. The independents also suggest
ed that any increase in the cost of prOduc-
ton could be added at once to the mar