New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-03-31

! 1t is to be regretted that the suggestion Of
| arbitration made on Thursday night by the
bituminOus coal operators Of the central com
petitive district did not come earlier If, as
a reputed spokesman Of the bitumlnOus coal
operators now affirms, a serious desire has
existed TO refer disputes with the miners over
a wage scale to an impartial outside trl-
bunal, ii is unfortunate that such means OF
settlement was not proposed two months ago.
BY waiting till the last day but one in the life
Of the outstanding wage agreement. and till
after the adjournment sine die of the final con
ference of operators and miners to publish their
willingness TO arbtrate, the mine owners hardly
exhibited due diligence in seeking that friendly
solution which they now say they were always
ready and anxious to accept The appeal to
the President to appoint a commission 10 do in
the soft coal field what the commission of
1902-03 did in the hard coal field should have
come from a joint conference of operators and
workmen and such joint action might have been
obtained if the operators had advocated It and
insisted upon It last January.
At the first conference of the two interests
II will be remembered, the operators stood as
unit against any advance in wages. The miners
asked an increase of y per cent, which in
crease the owners declared TO be absolutely out
of the question. The conference broke up with
no progress made toward harmony and no sug
gestion of arbitration. At the request of PTesi-
dent Roosevelt the operators and miners agreed
to meet again FL March and to try to effect a
compromise. But meantime a serious break had
occurred in the ranks Of the employers. The
Pittsburg Coal Company decided that ecOnOmi-
cal conditions in the competitive district did
not justify a coal war and a suspension of coal
production. 1t reCeded from the stand orig
inally taken by all the operators, that an ad-
vance in wages was impossible. and announced
that it was willing 10 cOncede a return to the
1903 scale-that return involving an increase of
80 per cent. The independent operators in
Western Pennsylvania virtually admitted that
they would have 10 follow the Pittsburg Coal
COmpany's lead so that Pennsylvania, produc-
ing much more coal than Illinois, Indiana and
Ohio together actually voted in the second con
ference with the miners for a higher wage scale.
while the minority interests in the other three
states voted against It.
But, if it is admitted that higher wages can
be paid in one section of the competitive district,
it certainly is not easy to see why they cannot
be paid in the other sections. SO long all
the operators acted as a unit in denying this
possibility there was ample room for arbitra-
ton. Now that a large proportion Of the owners
accept the miners contention 1t does not appear
that there is very much left 10 arbitrate at
the present time But II the miners make
an agreement TO continue work with Mr.. Rob
bins and the interests with which be is asso-
cated there will be no extremely serious inter
ruption in soft coal production. The Illinois
and Indiana operators may shut down for
month or two, but they will probably be com
PEELED sooner or later TO accept conditions as
they are A general war in the soft coal indus
try at this iuncture would be a piece of eco
nomiC folly Events at indianapolis have proved
that this central and controlling fact could not
be suppressed or evaded.