Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1906-04-07
STRIKE MEETING
TAKES A RECESS
Miners and Operators Adjourn Until
Thursday.
BOTH SIDES REMAIN FIRM


mittee representing the anthracite op-
orators and the mine workers OF East.
ern Pennsylvania held their first joint
meeting here. and after nearly a three
hours session adjourned until ! D. no.
Thursday without coming 10 an agree
ment Each side 10 the controversy
has refused to make the slightest con
cession. and the whole question appar-
emily is as far from solution as 10 was
before the conference began. In the
meantime the tieup of the anthracite
Industry remains as complete as it
was Monday, without Indication that
a resumption OF mining viii occur
very soon. Notwithstanding the fruit.
less session and the apparently hope
less deadlock between The workmen
and their employers. rumors are stil
current that q way viii be found that
viii enable the operators and miners
90 stand on common ground and settle
their differences.
After the conference the following
statement was given out by a repre-
sentative OF the operators.
THE conference began with Presi-
dent T.. B. Thomas. of the Lchlch Val
10y company. ia the chair. Mr.. Mitchell
made long speech. detailing why I'm
his Judgment the original demands of
the miners ought TO be granted. He
was followed by mr. Nichols. presi
dent OF tine Wyoming dis.
triCt of the Miners Union. who sup
ported Mr. MitchelTs argument There
were other speeches by the representa-.
dives of the miners. Tn fact that side
cid nearly al the talking
There was no disposition on either
side to recede from its original posi-.
tion or 20 accept any modification OF
the original demands Mr.. Nitchelrs
attitude indicated that the counter.
proposition made by tho operators for
a renewal of the working agreement
drafted by the anthracite strike com.
mission was not acceptable to the
miners.
con motion of Mr. Mitchell. the con.
ference adjourned until Thursday.
"The entire situation remains the
same as before the meeting. The sus-
pension of work in the anthracite
---a--~- ~'aA -....eA.a,'o pending ncEotia.
lions"
Each member of the operators com
mittee was sought for an interview
giving further details of the meeting.
but none OF them cared 90 say any
thing beyond what was contained An
the statement President Baer. who ISL
chairman OF the operators sub-com-
mittee. said. we simply had a long
talk, which was ia the nature OF gilt
o.
Ing was accomplished"
The members Of the miners com
mittee. including President Mitchell.
absolutely refused 10 talk OF the con
ference. The miners president also
refused 20 express an opinion as TO
whether the situation was hopeful OF
discouraging from his viewpoint.
The Shamokin scale committee.
which numbers 80 men. and which was
appointed last December, held a ses
sion Tuesday night at the Ashland
House as planned az Indianapolis last
week. The meeting was held behind
closed doors, but IL is understood that
the committee went over the situation
as il presents itself. and discussed
what further action should be taken
The committee was empowered by the
ShamOllin convention TO endeavor To
make an agreement with the operators
subject To the ratification OF another
convention 20 be called when the com
mittee is ready 10 report
The scale committee was in session
less than an hour. The subcommittee
which had been in conference with
the operators made its report, after
which President Mitchell read the fol
lowing letter from Governor Penny
packer, OF Pennsylvania:
Harrisburg. Pa, March 81. 1906.
Dear Sir-The commonwealth OF
Pennsylvania expects that every rea-
sonable effort will be made by the par
ties interested to accommodate the
differences between coal operators and
coal miners and TO avert the strike
which IS now threatened.
SAMUEL w. PENNYPACKER.
ITO George +. Baer. Reading Terminal,
Philadelphia
John Mitchell. indianapolis"
Mr.. Mitchell stated to the committee
that he had acknowledged receipt OF
the letter and had notified Governor
Pennypacker that he would communi-
cate its contents 10 the Shamokin scale
committee.
Reports received from the anthra-
cite fields, according to the labor lead
ers. were satisfactory TO them. There
were no breaks reported in the ranks
OF the mine workers and none is ex-
pected.
Mr.. Mitchell. in discussing the sit
uation In the bituminous fields. said
he had received a large number Of tel
egrams from the soft coal fields which
satisfied him that affairs in those re-
gions are working themselves out Just
as he had anticipated. Thousands OF
men, he said. returned to work under
the scale OF 1903, which gives them
an increase OF $50 cents over the
wages received during the last two
years.
FIRST BIOODSHED