The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-26
MINERS COMMITTEE AT ODDS.
PROPOSAL TO ACCEPT TERMS OF
OPERATORS GAINS FAVOR.
Conservatives See Folly OF PreclpitatlnB
Hopeless Strike and Disruption OF the
l~nion-scale Committee VIII Continue
in session TO-day-More Disorder.

in Session To.day-More Disorder.
~WILKEsBARRE, April 25.-Objection Of
members OF the general scale committee
to the reply to the anthracite operators
proposed by the subcommittee consisting
Of President Mitchell, District Presidents
Nichols, Fahey and Dettry and Secretaries
Dempsey, Hartein and Gallagher pre-
vented an agreement being reached to-
night, when the subcommittee reported
to the general committee.
This objection, it is understood, is based
on the desire OF the committeemen Of the
Hazleton district to demand an equaliza-
ton of wages for the day hands Of that
district. Several members of the CON-
mittee wanted to end negotiations and to
let a conventional the mine workers decide
whether or not there shall be arbitration
upon the operators terms or a strike
After a general discussion Of the situation
this morning it was agreed to refer the mat
ter Of drafting a reply to the operators to
the subcommittee.
This committee reported to the general
committee tonight, and instead Of a speedy
Endorsement of its action as expected there
was a spirited meeting lasting until 10
o'clock. 1t was decided to again refer the
matter to the subcommittee. President
Mitchell called a meeting OF this committee
at once, and announced that no statement
would be made tonight I'M that the COM
mittee would report to the general meeting
tomorrow.
1t is believed that the committeeman in
favor of continuing the negotiations by
making a reply to the operators will be
defeated. The peace party among the COM
mitteemen is gaining strength, many OF
them believing that it is not possible to
get more than the operators have offered
and that it will be wiser to accept what they
can get and avoid a strike with its risk Of
defeat and disruption of the union.
President Dettry Of the Hazleton dis
trict, while he does not favor a strike,
believes that the condition OF the com
pany hands in his district should be sub
mitted to a board Of arbitration, because
their condition, he declares, is a new one
: 10 the strike commission. He states that
the inside ompany hands employed at
the mines Of Coke Bros. 4 Co., which were
recently purchased by the Lehigh Valley
Coal Company, get an average OF 1884
a week less than the same class Of en-
ployees in the Lehigh Valley Company
mines in the same region, and that the
average wages OF the company hands OF
all classes in the Hazleton region are from
y to % cents a day less than the wages
paid TO company hands in the Schuylkill,
LA6hawanna and Wyoming districts.
These conditions have developed, he
saws, since the strike commission sat AND
are therefore subject to arbitration under
the operators own proposition.
NJ. j. Healy, president of the Miners
Mill Coal Company. a small concern, to-day
called Upon President Mitchell and asked
il his company would be allowed to mint
coal provided it granted the demands Of
the mine workers. President Mitchell re-
plied that he would take the matter under
consideration.
A number Of non-union mine workers
employed by the Upper Lehigh Coal Com
pany quit work to-day. They say theil
wages were out from 81. 20 a day to 80 cents
day,
The Bliss oolliery Of the Delaware,
Lackawanna and Western Company, neal
here, is said to have worked a full shift
to-day and mined a considerable amount
Of coal.
The operators report that the force Of
workmen is being steadily increased, and
that if the suspension is continued there
will be so much discomfort that a large
number OF mine workers who have beer
waiting will now report for work.
SCRANTON, April 2S.-'H the United
Nine Workers expect to avert a strike
by forcing the operators to grant them
certain concessions they are certain tc
he disa~ ppointed, said a well known genera
superintendent of one OF the coal carry
ing roads this evening.
Il see the evening papers report That
the scale COMMITTEES are to make another
proposition to the operators, but they NIGH
as we'll save their breath and their ink.
The operators nave said in as plain
English az I ever read that there are nc
concessions that they can make and they
meant Just what they said. Personally
feel that we nave the miners defeated
expect that they will gracefully give way
that shortly an end will come to the sus'
pension and that all will be back at worE
again within a few weeks
A general manager of one of the other
corporations spoke along the same line.
Il appreciate the fact that Mitchell fndi
himself in a hole and that he is trying X
hack out OF it in the best manner he can,
said another. Therefore he may affair
his present end, which 1 believe is a tactfu
retreat by slow and painful methods, but
believe that he will try them just the SAINT
aud that he will succeed. II he insists
that the operators give way and hat they
grant something to the men then ne Il
certain to ~precipitate a strike.
Upon what do you base your belief
that the men will 60 back to work without
getting any ooncessions?" he was asked.
Upon the fact that the men do not wan
a strike and that fact has been impressed
strongly upon Mr.. Mitchell. You may sci
from his interview given to the news
papers yesterday that he is very slow t.
appreciate the fact that the miners are moi
% ready to follow his leadership in this
matter as they have been in the past. They
are questioning the wisdom Of this sus
Pension order; there is no doubt Of that.
Mitchell realizes that fact at least. He
shows it when he goes to the trouble to say