The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-31

be expected from the White House for
perhaps two or three days.
There was no authoritative statement
to-day, but 1t Is known that some Of the
Presidents closest advisers believe the
time is not opportune for Intervention
and that the President himself clearly
diferentiates the present situation from
that which existed in the autumn Of 1902.
The regular meeting Of theC Cabinet was
3 held at ii O'Clock this morning. At the
our of assembling the President caused
to be made public at the White House tele-
grams which he received, under yesterdays
date, from John H. Winder, chairman Of
the coal operators committee, and from
John Mitchell, president of the United
Mine Workers of America, and Francis l..
Robbins, an operator. The telegram from
the operators was follows:
I%NDIANAPoLls. INp.. March 20.
TO the President. Wdshin0 atom
, ! have the honor of transmitting to you
the following resolution, passed by GOAL
operators assembled in this city:
"Whereds the coal operators and the rep
resentatives of the miners of the states OF
Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and western Penn
sylvania, having met in Indianapolis at the
suggestion of the President Of the United
States for tho purpose of endeavorlng 10
agree upon a scale of wages and mining
conditions for a period beginning April l..
1905, and the parties having been unable
TO reach an agreement and having adjourned
sine die, he it
"Rfsoirod. That the coal operators Of the
States of Illinois. Indiana. Ohio and western
PENNSYLVANIA. representing at least so per
cent. of the tonnage on the territory involved
who have felt and still feel unable to pay
any ad vance in wages at this time-do hereby
propose that the President of the United
States appoint a commission to investigate
all matters which, in the jud gment OF such a
commission, have an important bearing
upon, or relate to. the scale of wages which
should be paid all classes of labor in and
about the coal mines of the territory herein
involved and other conditions now imposed
and insisted upon by the United Mine Workers
of America. such commission 10 report to the
. President of the United States its findings
of facts, together with It's recommendations
Be il further
"Rcsolred, That such commission have
power to administer oaths and compel at
tendance of witnesses.
JoRN H. WINpER. Chairman.
The telegram from the others read:
INDIANAPOLIS. Ind. March 20, 1908.
Hon. THEODORE ROOSEVELT: Responding
TO your suggestion, we have fulfilled our
highest duties as citizens Of our country by
advocating a bituminous coal scale on a rea-
sonable compromise. We understand that a
telegram has been sent to you tonight pur-
porting to speak for so per cent OF the btu
minous tonnage. That telegram does not
represent the real facts. At least one-half OF
the total tonnage in western pennsylvania,
Ohio, Indiana and Illinois is produced by
operators who are willing to pay compromise
scale. joins MITCHELL
FRANCIS L.. ROBBINS.
The bare text Of these kilograms was
accompanied by no official comment and
the White House AUTHORITIES declined to
answer any questions, except to say that
the President had not yet sent a reply.
The coal strike situation was discussed
at the Cabinet meeting, which continued
until nearly 2 O'Clock, and Secretaries Root
and Taft, ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Moody and
Postmaster-Genera Cortelyou remained
with the President some time after their
colleagues had left the White House.
The President takes the position that a
coal strike which would have its beginning
in April is an entirely different matter as
far, as the public is concerned and as far
as extraordinary measures of intervention
are involved from a coal strike which
eliminates in November. Therefore the
situation is wholly unlike that of 1902.
Although the operators have not waited
for Intervention, but nav invited it, they
have asked the President to appoint a
commission of inquiry, not a commission
of arbitration; and the mine. workers have
not asked for a commission Of any kind.
Some weeks ago President Roosevelt
remarked to one of his callers hat he be-
lieved that Intervention by him as a So
called peacemaker, whether between nations
or between labor and CT pital In our own
country, would be successful in inverse
ratio to the rarity of its exercise. 1t was
said for the President to-day by a high
officer of the Government. speaking I'M
officially, that Mr.; Roosevelt did not wish
settle every controversy which may, be
presented to him. He believed such a
course would produce a multitude of cases,
and strikes might actually be precipitated or
FASTENED by the belief that the PresiaSnt
of the United States could be prevailed
upon to Use his good offices" to bring
about a settlement.