The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-03-12
Operators in Every Instance Contend That Conditions Do Not Warrant Pro-
 posed Changes.
MAKE COUNTER PROPOSITION
WANT PRESENT ANTHRACITE AGREEMENT TO CONTINUE.


 Refuse Point Blank to Recognize the
 UniOn-NO Change fn Conditions to
 Sustain the Renewed Demand for an
 Eight-HOur Day-On the Contrary
 From the Experience of the Last
 Three Years They Believe the Ten-
 Hour Day Should be Restored
 Uniform Scale of Wages Unpracti-
 cable by Reason of the Varying Ca-
 pacities of the WOrIxmen and of Con-
 ditions-CannOt Increase Wages
 Without Advancing Price of Coal
 Not Willing to Do This.
 New York, March 1.-The proposi- tions of the United Mine Workers of America for a readjustment of wages and conditions in the anthracite coal fields, as whole have been denied by the committee representing the anthra- cite operators, As a counter proposi- tion the operators suggest that the awards made by the anthracite coal strike commission, the principles upon which they were established by the commission, and the methods establish ed for carrying out their findings and nrIc cIo h. continued for a fIlr- ther term of three years from the first day of April, 1906. The present agree nnent terminates March 31 of this year.
 Announcement of the anthracite op- orators decision, and their counter proposition was made tonight in a long, formal statement, which was giv- en out for publication. This statement, which includes the correspondence on the subjects at issue between President John Mitchell of the United Mine Workers, acting for the miners. and George F. Baer, president of the Phila- delphia and Reading Coal and Iron company, for the operators, discusses the miners proposition in detail. In every instance the contention is made by the operators that conditions i'm the coal fields do not warrant the changes proposed by the miners or that the questions at issue already have been passed upon by the coal strike commits sion.
 The demand of the miners that the operators enter into an agreement with the union is declined on the ground that the anthracite operators stand un- alterably flor the open shop, and again decline to make an agreement with the United Mine Workers of America, an organization controlled by a rival ln- d1stry." Of the demand for an eight hour day, the statement says the oper- ators know of no change in conditions that can be used to sustain the renew ed demand for reduction in hours. It declares that the expectation of the strike commission that the reduction of from ten to nine hours should not re- suit in any decrease in the output of the mines' has not been realized, and adds: We might justly say that with the experience of the last three years, the ten-hour day should be restored; but we are willing to abide by the de- cision of the commission" The propo sition that uniform scale of wages be established in the anthracite fields is met by the operators with the reply that this would be impracticable by reason of the varying capacities of the workmen, and the varying conditions existing in the region and in the col lieries.
 'eWe cannot increase wages without advancing the price of coal, and we are mot willing to advance the price of coal" is the reply to the demand for a general increase in wages. The request fhat the operators shall collect from each empIoye certain stated sums for the support of the mine workers union is denied on the ground that "as matter of policy we would not make such an agreement as you request, and as a matter of law we are not permit led to make it" The operators decline ito agree to any change in the board of conciliation as established by the an- thractte coal strike commission, taking the ground that the system proposed Inv the miners would simply involve the creation of g, series of minor boards whose QeclShOIlS HlISIlL OC SOtAAAASNAAiSi and to which appeals would have to be taken to an arbitrator, thereby creating more delays than now exist. The com plaint of the miners that the board of ronciliation does not act promptly, the operators declare to be not warranted by the facts. The demand for new sliding wage scale is denied on the ground that the sliding scale fixed by the anthracite coal strike commission covers practically all the propositions sn the proposed new scale.
 In conclusion the statement says: It had been our hope, and, we trusted, the public expectation as well, that the eff feet of the exhaustive investigation and findings of the distinguished citizens who constituted the anthracite strike commission would be to establish just and permanent adjustment of the rela- tions between the operators and their employees. We therefore regret your suggestions that an entirely new and untried arrangement should be made, which is only to last for one year.
 Tt is not to the interest of employers