Omaha daily bee., 1906-04-12
OFFER TO ARBITRATE
Mine Operators in Southwestern States
Make Proposition to Miners.
PRESIDENT TO APPOINT A COMMISSION
Award is to Cover All Questions and to Be
Binding Upon Both Parties
ANTHRACITE MINERS ARE IN CONFERENCE
Full Scale Committee Begins Consideration
Of Operators Proposals
COUNTER PROPOSITION is PROBABLE
Committee Finishes Draft of Reply,
but it's Contents Are Carefully
Guarded-It VIII Be Pre-
sented Toda9.
ANTHRACITE MINERS ARE IN CONFERENCE
Full Scale COMMITTEES Begins Consideration
Of Operators Proposals
COUNTER PROPOSITION IS PROBABLE


KANSAS CITY, April 1.-THE Southwest |
orn Interstate Coal Operators association
comprising mine owners OF Missouri !
Kansas Oklahoma, Indian Territory and |
Texas, met her today at meeting called !
10y w. {. Perry, its president. Before en-
tering the meeting. President Perry rcit-
Grating his statement. made upon several
occasions since his return from the III
dianapohs conference that their offer Of
arbitration is open to miners any time
they may choose to consider 1t.
Il. c. Rombauer Of kirksville, Mo,
vice president of the association. said:
The present situation may continue for
ninety days and it may last until snow
lies. No one can foresee any change in the
situation unless there is government IN
teryenuon."
The Southwestern Coal Operators associ-
alton at a called meeting here today do
cded to appeal to President Roosevelt to
help effect settlement of the differences
exiting between the operators and the
bltumnous miners now out in the south
west. This action was taken just before
the close of the morning session Of the
operators, who represented 30 per cent of
the mine owners OF the Southwestern as
sociation, with the exception Of Texas.
The resolution deciding upon appeal
to the president which were adopted unant-
mously, read:
The members OF the Southwestern Inter
state Coal Operators association realizing
the gravity OF the crisis caused by the
failure of themselves and the miners TO
agree on a wage scale and condition of
labor in field, now propose to submit all
questions at issue TO arbitration before "A
commission to be appointed by the prcsi-
dent of the United states, the award Of
such commission to be binding both On
the miners and operators.
The association found that six of its
members In Missouri and Kansas have
signed the scale proposed by the miners.
They are all small operators and altogether
do not employ 200 miners. 1t was voted
that they have disqualified themselves for
membership in the association. and the sec
retary was instructed to drop their names
from the roll of members. The companies
involved are; J. w. Robertson Coal COM
pany. Weir Citys la Belle Goat company,
Pittsburg. Waverly Coal company, Belt
Line Coal company, Perry Coal company
and the Eagle Coal company.
w. c. Perry was appointed by the asso-
citation to go to Washington with the reso-
luton and present IL to President Roose-
velt MIR. Perry stated tonight that he
will start on his mission as soon as his
business will permit. probably within two
weeks.
The operators adopted another resolution
TO the effect that they will never recede
from their present position II such action
on their part will involve the raising of
the cost of producing coal,
Anthracite Miners Draft Reply.
NEW YORK. April 11-After having the
counter arbitration plan OF the anthracite
operators under consideration nearly all
hard coal miners completed the draft of
their reply and will present it to the COM
mittee of mine owners at the joint session
70 be held here tomorrow. The strictest
secrecy surrounded the work of the COM
mitteemen. 1t Is believed the miners have
escided to accept the operators offer that
the anthracite strike commission take uT
the dispute but will ask that the tribunal
be permitted TO consider original demands
with certain important notifications. The
concessions said to have been decided upor
are that. instead of an agreement being
entered into between the operators and the
United Mine Workers OF America, it b,
made with the anthracite mine workers
that the check-off be limited to the wag,
workers who agree to an assessment tC
defray the expenses incurred In carryinl
out the miners part OF the agreement in
stead Of all mine workers-union and non
union-being compelled 10 contribute anC
that the duration of the agreement be lef
to the commission The miners in thei
arbitration plan asked for two-yea
agreement and the operators in their coun
ter proposition wanted one for three years
II this proposition Is submitted by tn
miners and accepted # would leave III
commission free to take up the demand
for an increase in wages, an eight-hou
day. uniform pay for all classes of EN-
ployment paid by the day or month. re
construction OF the Cancellation board an,
a number OF minor grievances. The oper
ators want 10 limit the inquiry TO wage
and method for the adjustment OF com
plants
Meeting at 81. Louis.
ST LOUIS, April n.-Committees iron
the Illinois Coal Operators association an
che Illinois Coal Miners association held
Joint meeting behind closed doors here toda
ana talked over the strike situation.
10 understood that no agreement wa
reached concerning a plan OF action an
IL finally Was proposed that committe
OF mine operators be appointed TO confe
with the miners at Indianapolis next Tues
day. Many OF the operators were agains
appointing committed TO confer with IN
miners next Tuesday and they had ad
vocRted standing pat" and allowing over
lures 10 come from the miners.
The Decatur Coal company, the Middle
ton Coal company and the Talula Cos
company were expelled by the Illinois Goa
Operators association because they slgne
the scale demanded by the miners. Today
meeting OF the operators was the larges
In the history OF the association, all bU
three OF the concerns forming IL being rel
resented. The association comprises .
companies controlling $50 mines in Illinois
Partial Agreement In Iowa.
DIES MONIES, Ia. April n.--Iowa min
operators and miners made progress in III
scale conference today. an agreement b,
Ing reached for the first Iowa district Il
all labor, except top. receiving $50 pc
day or less.
The agreement restores the scale OF lsO
The matter OF top laborers Is stll undi,
posed OF; they were not reduced two year
aso but demand is made for an tnoreas