The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-27
Exerts Influence to Avert Great
 Goal Strike
NEW CONVENTION CALLED
Mitchell and Robbins Confer and An other Effort Will Be Made to Reach an Agreement on
 Wage Scale.

New York, February 26.-President Roosevelt has again intervened as a peace maker between the coal miners and operators, and as the result of a letter addressed by him to John Mitchell, presi- dent of the United Mine Workers of America a national convention of the United Mine Workers will be held at h. dianapolis March 15 to try to reach an agreement with the soft coal operators in the hope of averting the threatened strike of April 1 in the bituminous coal fields.
 The Presidents letter and the announce ment that the national convention would be called. were made public tonight by MT. Mitchell after long conference with Francis L. Robbins, president of the Pittsburg Coal company. and chairman of the bituminous operators, who came to New YorK this morning. Also present at this conference were w. c. Perry of the Southwestern Coal assocition, and B. F. Bush, representing the soft coal interests allied with the Gould railroads.
 Presidents Letter to Mitchell.
 The Presidents letter, to Mr. Mitchell follows:
 White House,
 Washington, D. C., February a.
 "Sir-I note with very great concern the failure of your late convention the joint interstate agreement to come to a basis of settlement of the bitumincus mining scale of wages. You in this bust. ness have enjoyed n great industrial peace for many years, thanks to the joint trade agreement that has resulted in the action of your successive conventions.
 "A strike such as is threatened on April is menace to the peace and general Dwelfare of the country. I urge you to make further effort to avoid such a calamity.
 You and Mir. Robbins are joint chair men of the trade agreement committee of the National Civic federation, and it seems to me that this imposes additional duty upon you both. and gives an addi- tional reason why each of you should join in making further effort. Very respect fully,
 THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
 The conference did not adjourn until nearly 8 o'clock tonight, when Mir Mitchell announced that after the reading of President Roosevelt's letter 1t was agreed both by himself and the operators than the national convention should be called The miners were In session re- gently at Indianapolis but failed to reach an agre sment with the operators. Presi- dent Mitchell has been quoted as saying that so far as he knew, there would cer- tainly be a strike in the bituminous field April 1.
 Have Not Progressed Smoothly.
 The negotiations for an agreement be- tween the hard coal workers and the anthracite operators have been progress ing smoothly to all outward appearances. and arrangements have been made for joint conference between the sub-eon- miitees having the settlement of the diff ficultes in hand.
 With the anthracite negotiations well under way, President Mitchell has beenN deyoting most of his time to bringing about settlement of differences in soft coal regions.
 MT Mitchell has not announced any de- tails of todays conference. nor did he say just when the call for the convention will be sent out. March 15, he believes, is inc earliest date the convention can be summoned, and he believes that if there Is to be peace. the two weeks be- tween the date fixed for the miners as- embly and April 1, when the present agreement with the operators expires, is sufficient time to bring about the de- sired result. Mir. Mitchell would not in- dicate what new proposition will be placed before the miners, but significance is att tached to his statement that the operators et tcday's conference agreed that the con- vention should be called