Milford chronicle., 1906-04-13
OPERATORS PLAN
OF ARBITRATION
Willing to Refer Wages and Adjust.
msnt Of Complaints to Commission.
NINE WORKERS DISAPPOINTED

the mine workers mere, declined the
proposition to have the conciliation
board arbitrate all grievances submit
ted by the wage workers, and made a
counter proposal that the commission
appointed by President Roosevelt in
1902 be requested to decide whether
any changes in conditions in the hard
coal regions have occurred which re-
quire that the award of the commits
sion should be modified The mine
owners limit the inquiry to two griev-
ances-wages and a method for the ad-
justment of complaints. The miners
have taken the proposal under con-
sideration, and may give the operators
an answer on Thursday, when another
conference between the sub-commit-
tees of the two parties will be held.
In the meantime the miners commit
tee of SO will hold sessions and agree
on a reply, and the operators will re-
main idle awaiting developments.
In connection with the conference,
George F. Baer, chairman of the mine
owners subcommittee, made public
a letter sent to the committee by the
independent operators, in which they
give their views on the situation and
express their firm conviction that any
agreement to arbitrate with the
United Mine Workers will be an un-
justifable surrender to anarchy and
mob violence" The letter came as
great surprise to the miners, and did
not tend to bring the cOntending par
ties closer together.
Notwithstanding the fact that both
parties to the controversy are now
committed to arbitration, they are still
far apart, but confidence is expressed
on all sides that peaceful settlement
will be brought about. There is every
Indication that the counter arbitration
plan will not be accepted by the miners
as presented, although they view with
favor the operators selection of the
anthracite strike commission. The
old tribunal will be accepted by Presi-
dent Mitchell if he can induce the
coal companies to widen the scope of
the submission to be made. The scale
committee of the employees held ses-
sion, and while nothing was given out
for publication, it is known the senti-
ment of many, if not a majority of
the committeeman, was for either
amending the operators plan, so far
as it relates to the questions to be
taken up, or for standing on their
own arbitration offer with the strike
commission substituted for the concili- |
alton board. The endeavor of the op-
orators to eliminate all the miners
grievances with the exception of those |
of wages and the adjustment Of COM
plants was a keen disappointment to |
the representatives of the men, and if |
their attitude can be taken as an indi-
cation of their action, they will |
fight hard to have some of their |
other demands taken up, such as an
day, the weighing of coal |
and the check-off If the scale com
mittee cannot come to an agreement /
with the operators, it is not unlikely
that a convention of miners will be
called to further instruct the commit
tee.
After the operators proposal had
Deen READ, HreSlueuL MlIcuell dSheu
under the plan, the anthra-
cite operators would have the privil-
ege of asking the commission to re-
duce present wages, and he was in
formed by one of the coal presidents
that they had. In reply to another
question, he was told that if the oper-
ators' plan is accepted, the first offer
Of the coal companies to renew and
continue for three years the award Of
the strike commission would collapse.
President Mitchell did not know that
the Independent operators had sent
to the presidents Of
the coal-carrying railroads opposing
arbitration. He first learned it after
to his headquarters at the
Ashland House, and when a copy Of
he letter was shown him, he read it
With keen interest. He would not
on it at this time, but it is
believed that he will not let the COM
go unnoticed.
President Mitchell announced that
he last of the bituminous coal oper-
Itors in the Pittsburg district who had
ield out against the 1903 wage agree
nent signed the scale. This action, he