Daily Kennebec journal., 1906-04-06
JOHN MITCHELL.
"T. n. NICHOLS.
"WJLLIAM VI. DETTREG.
John r. GALLAGHER.
JOHN FAHEN.
"GEoRCE, JJARTI I|IN

The proposition was read To tne
operators by Mr.. Mitchell, and along
with it he submitted the original dc
mands of the miners. the reply of tho
operators in which they proposed that
the strike commission award he re-
newcd and continued for years, and
the letter Of Gov. PcunypaCner. who
urges that both parties make reason
able efforts to come to an agreement.
The conference Of the subcommittee
lasted less than one hour and at its
conclusion the operators held meet
ing to informally discuss the miners
offer Later in the day they issued th"
following statement:
"It should he observed that III th"
astutcly drawn proposition Of Mr..
Mitchell and his committees. tn" opCr-
atCrS are asked to submit to arbitra-
tlon the question Of the close shop and
the "chcck-off" scheme requiring in tho
words of the miners committee, that
each company shall collect from each
emrloye such amounts as may be lev
led by their respective organizations
monthly. the amount thus collected at
each Colliery to hc turned over to an
authorized committee at the collicry" 4
llnn which would make every operator
4 collecting agency on behalf Of the
strike fund of the miners. In their let
ter nf March O. to the miners commit
tee the operators said. concerning the
. "chcck-Off:"
+ con these two subjects also the an
thra,.itc coal commission of 1902 ap
pointed hy President Roosevelt, made
the following vigorous declaration.
The right To remain at work where
others have ceased to work. or to en-
sage anew in work which others have
abandoned. is part of the personal lib
erty of action that can never be sur
rendered ana every infringement
thereof merits and should receive the
stern announcement of the law. All
government implies restraint and it is
: rot less. but more. necessary in self
] governed communities than in others
to compel restraint of the passions Of
mon which make for disorder and law
lcSSnCSS. our language is the language
Of Il free people and fails To furnish
any form of speech by which the right
of Il citizen to work when he pleaScS,
fol whom he pleases and on what
terms he plcascs. can be successfully
denied. The common sense of our
people as wen as tho common law for
bids that this right should he assailcd
with impunity. 1t is vain To say that
the man who remains at work while
others cease to work or takes the
place of one WHO has abandoned his
work. helps to defeat tn" aspirations
"f men VINO seek to obtain better
r"compcnsc for their labor ANA better
conditions of life"
1T should also be observed that Mr..
MitchclFs committee abandons the
proposal for an one year agreement ana
suggests AN arbitration. the term Of
which expires on April I. 190S--t
Presidential ycar-thus arording Il
nrW opportunity to make this great in
dGstry the football of political aspira
ti"nS. Th" operators ahd already Of
fcrcd. il viii y" remembered. 10 cx-
tend tho findings Of the coal commits
sion until April 1909"
The operators at their meeting dc
cidcd that before thcy would frame
q reply I" tho miners they would first
consult all interests in order tn get tho
- ntI1neut of tn" heads of all thu. coal
carrying roads as well a& that of tic
independent operators
Fh" anthracite board Of cnnrlli,tiou
consists of six members-threc reprcsert
lng ne operators and three the miners
Tho members are William L. Conntll u
Scrantcn an independent orepartor, who
Is chairman of the board; Samuel D. War
rmtr Of WikeSbarre, general manager u,
the Leigh Valley Coal CO.; w J. Rich
ards. second vice president Of the PhiIa-
delphia & Reading Coal and Iron Co, and
general manager of its mining interests ::
William ii. Dettrey Of Hazlcton, prcsi-
dent of district No. : Of the miners
union. who is secretary of the board
Thomas d. Nichols of Scranton, nrosi1cn,
Of District No. ]; and John Fahv Of
Shamnkin, president Of District No. ..
These men. with the execution of NJ,
Richards. who took the place of II. g.
Luther Of the Reading 90. who dio
about year 2go. have held frequent sc.5-
sions during the last three years. settling
local disputes in the anthracite regions.
Tho award Of the strike commission
provided that whom tho could not agree
federal Judge of the third judicial dis
trict should appoint an umpire who should
make decision. Judge George GRAY
president of the strike commission, mad,
the appointments. During the first t,H,
years he selected Carroll D. Wright for
mer United States commissioner Of labor
, rs the umpire. but during the last year
Charles p. Ncill, the present labor com
missioner. acted as the arbitcr
1t was stated ut the miners headquar-
tcrs that if the operators agree to arbitra.
ton n call will be sent out at once for a
convention of miners at which instruc-
tions would he adopted, if they ratify the
arbitration plan, for the idle miners tc
return to work Immediately.
District President Nichols of the Lack
awanna-Wyomin district received com
plant from mire workers at Yatesvill-
today to the effect that the state constab-
ulary were entering and searching their
homes for firearms. Mr.. Nichols sent in
structions to his organizers in the field
to take necessary measures to protect the
miners and go employ counsel if necessa-
ry.