Richmond daily palladium., 1906-02-13
BOTH SIDES ARE READY

l
Roosevelt will doubtless be called up
on in a few days to use his influence
in avertings,a general strike of an
thraeite and bituminous coal miners.
Opinions Of leaders at the mines and
operators in this city indicate that
without the interposition of some po-
tent influence outside of the conflict
ing interests q strike Of greater pro-
portions than has ever before been
known in this country is inevitable.
Nothing that occurred in the min
ing districts yesterday gave promise
Of peaceful outcome of the dis
pute. The executive boards Of the
three anthracite districts adjourned
in Indianapolis without making any
headway toward a basis of settle
ment. and are to meet again on Fri
day in Wilkesbarre with John Mitch
ell.
w. H. Truesdalee, president of the
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western
Company, said: "I don't know that
we are much nearer a general strike
! than we were six weeks ago. John
! Mitchell comes here on February 15
We will find out in detail what the
union demands. For long time we
have been mining great deal Of an
thracite and have been storing large
quantities, but none has been with
held from our customers. The mild
ness of the winter has enabled us to
get out a good deal of coal and has
diminished the demands of consum-
erS.'
Thomas P. Fowler, president of the
Ontario and Western Railroad, said
1t was an open secret that the opera
tors had been getting out an unusual
quantity of coal and storing it for
many months in anticipation of being
called upon to meet an emergency.
The head of one large firm explain
ed that a peculiar combination of cir
cumstances had brought about the
present determination of the miners
to strike. During the anthracite
strike in 1902, he said, the soft coal
operators made a great deal of mon
ey, and many new mines were opened.
Wages were increased for time, and
then, when the increased output be
gan to diminish the profits, the wages
of the bituminous miners were scaled
down. Now the miners, supposing
that the three years of general pros
perity had brought great profits to
the operators, were seeking to have
the original high wages restored,
when, as a matter Of fact, he said,
the supply Of soft coal had been
greater than the demand, and the op-
orators had been making very little.
| In fact, several Of them were close
to ruin. While the supply of anthra
cite coal, he said, was limited, new
bituminous territory was being open
ed all the time and there was prac-
tically no end to it.
Another large dealer said that if a
strike was ordered the operators
would force the fighting from the
start. In 1902 they waited for the
men to return.
Since then, he said, the mine own
ers have been getting independent
mine bosses and superintendents in
to training; that these men were all
equipped with the proper licenses
and as soon as the strike was called,
many collieries would be opened and
filled with independent men under
competent foremen. John Mitchell,
he said, was a conservative man, but
just now found himself between the
devil and the deep sea. Several dis
trict leaders were seeking to get his
place. and if he hesitated about tax
ing the aggressive these men would
inspire q revolt in the union and
Mitchell void be deposed. On the
other hand, if he called the strike he
realized that it would be a failure
and he would be charged with having
led the men to defeat.
1t was also stated that through the
suggestion of dealers many large
manufacturing firms in the East have
laid in large supply of steam coal,
in anticipation of a strike. A rep
resentative of Williams & Peters,
sales agents for the Erie, said one
concern in New York now had 10000
tons of coal stored outside of the city