The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-04-03
ANTHRACITE CONFERENCE.
Neither Miner Nor Operator Will Make
 Prediction.

New York, April 2.-The eve of the second meeting of the committees rep-' resepting the anthracite mine workers and their employers finds the situation so far as the hard coal fields are concerned, unchanged from that dis closed in the communications that have passed between the contending forces and which have been made pub lie. Neither miner nor operator to- night would venture a prediction as 10 the outcome as neither party Is aware Of what the next move of the other will be Both sides are hopeful how ever, aud thero Is a feeling among those vitally interested in the strug- gle that some way out of the present difficulty will be found.
 President Mitchell arrived here to- night from Indianapolis and establish ed headauarters at the Ashland House.
 It was the expectation of MT Mitchell to call the district presidents and secretaries. comprising the Shano- kin scale comIttee together tonight for a last conference prior to meeting with the operators, but it was decided to delay the conference until tomor- row morning.
 None of the district leaders would he ouoted as to the situation as shown by the first days suspension. but they all admitted privately that the utmost harmony prevails in the region and that rumors that thousands or men would not obey the suspension order have proved groundless. They report ed that the only colliery working full handed is the Peoples Coal Company's Oxford plant. in the northern neids' which is run almost exclusively by non-union men, The washeries that were in operation today employ. the district leaders say. only a small num- Der of men and they are not well organized.
 Tomorrow's meeting between the subcommittee of the miners and the operators will be held at noon, proba- ply in the offices of the Central Rail- way of New Jersey and is expected to be of short duration
 IL is believed that nothing will he definitely agreed upon. According to information obtained tonight. the program for tomorrow as tentatively outlined by the operators Is to renew the counter proposition made to the miners early in March, that is. the con- tinuation for another term of three years of the award of the anthracite strike commission. The employers. however, do not expect the miners rep resentatives to accept the proposition or even consider 1t at the present time. but rather expect the union leaders to renew their original demands. If this program is followed out an ad- iournment probably will be taken for twenty-four or forty-eight hours.
 The conciliatory spirit shown in the first meeting of the two committees is not expected to obtain in tomorrow conference The operators are indig- nant over the action of the miners union in forcing I suspension of opera tiOns
 The President of the anthracite coal carving roads today devoted constd- erable attention to the act of retail coal dealers in New York. Philadr'- phia. and other cities in raising the price of domestic sizes of coal to the consumer. They have received re- ports that many retailers have ad- vanced prices anywhere from D cents to SI ton. The operators some dayb ago warned the dealers that 1T they continue the practice the1r suppiy or coal will be cut off and fuel will he given to only those dealers who riS- idly maintain the regular prices
 The prac-ice of advancing prices. however herame SO widespread that the operators today deemed It neces- sary to issue d statement to the public showing their position.
 The statement was as follows: "Ad- vices received this morning from the anthracite a feet that the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Is operating six washeries. Erie five washeries. Onta- rio and Western two washeries; Della ware and Hudson one washery and the Peoples Coal Company one breaker.
 .,The Reading. the Lehigh Valley and tho Temple Coal and Iron Company arc no. attempting to run any of their nIants. although some 2,000 men re- norted to the Lehigh Valley Coal Com nauv for work this morning.
 .1he price of freight has not been raised. no charge whatever is being made for the cost the operators have incurred for the storage of coal and the nrice F o. B. and Alongside is exactly the same today as it has been for months past There Is no excuse for raising the price of coal and the opcr- suors are doing everything in their power tn prevent il. The operators
 very nf