The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-03
rO CALL OFF STRIKE TO-DAY.
HhOught LIKELY That Men and Operators
VIII Reach Agreement.

SCRANTON, Pa, April 1.-The statement
was made to-day by one OF the most prom
; lnent of the local coal operators that he mas
a., good reason to believe that at the conference
! In New York tomorrow between the coal
! operators and the representatives OF the
!, miners the latter, through John Mitchell,
will make an offer to resume work on Il new
Z wage scale allowing them an increase Of
8 Der cent, and that the offer will he ho-
copied as the easiest way out OF the trouble
! This operator went on to say that II TINS
y offer is not made apd. accepted he believes
I, that the strike will soon be ended anyway,
{ rs il is not likely to continue longer than Il
month. II does not meet with the APP
I nroyal OF the miners and it will be hard
Z To- hold, them together ior.any great length
= of time.
Another steEy that was rput in oircula-
ion by an o operator to-day WA to the Ell
feet that at to-morrow's conference
Mitchell will propose TO the operators to ac-
cent an offer to continue the award OF the
strike commission for a year. The story
runs that this will not prove acceptable to
the Operators and win be turned down by
them. They seem to think thai a settle
ment for n year would mean nothing for
them. They desire an understanding that
will continue for n term of years, 30 that
labor and business conditions may have
time 10 approach tbs normal before an
other agitation is begun.
Another generator, James NJ. Shepherd;
the principal owner Of the Oxford colliery,
the only one operating full handed in the
region, remarked that ne could not help
but feel that the end was very near. Within
a week, MIR. Shepherd said, he believed
that the conclusion Of the suspension would
be reached.
President Nichols Of district I, one
OF the most conservative leaders Of work.
jnRmen, said before leaving for New York
this afternoon that he felt that at to-mor-
rows conference everything will be ami
cably arranged and that the miners will
soon return to work.
WI%LKEsBARRE, Pa, April 1.-THE order
euspending WORK. in tho anthraaits regions
issued by President Mitchell of the Mine
Workers Union was unanimously obeyed
by the union men this morning. All the
collieries in this section Of the resion were
shut down and only the steam makers.
engineers and pump runners, whose duty
Il is to keep the mines fre9 from water,
were at work.
The union officials estlnnts the men
idle at las, 900. This number includes
the union men, the large number OF boys
ineligible for membership and the men
who are not members of the union, but
who are expected to remain idle as long as
the union men do. The gates of the col
lieries were open. but no one passed
through them, except the men required
TO keep the collieries from being damaged,
and the fire bosses, foremen and other
petty officials OF the companies.
The whole situation here now Is one OF
waiting to see whether the strike is ordered.
II it is activity will ensue in manydirections
for the companies which have washeries
will endeavor to work them and other.
companies will run their mines II they get
enough workers.
The operators are chiefly concerned now
about Mitchell's attitude in case Of a strike.
A large number Of mine workers deposited
money in the banks to-day, having been
paid on Saturday. They invariably ex-
pressed the hope that they would not have
10 draw out any of this money, and added
that they had been able to save more money
IN the last three years than in any previous
period.