The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-02-03
United Mine Workers of America Threaten to ProStrate Business
 of Country.
55O,OOO MAY QUIT WORK
FINAL EFFORTS TO REACH AN
 AGREEMENT FAIL.

Mitchell Tells the Delegates to Go
 Home and Look to the Securing of n
 Defense Fund in View of the Fossil
 biIity of Strlke--WOuId be the Great
 est and Most Disastrous in the His
 tory of the COuntry-BOth Sides De-
 termined-OperatOrs Would Not Give
 Wage Increase--ApriI Mentioned as
 Day for Strike
 Indianapolis, Ind, Feb. 2.-With pros poets pointing to a strike of 550,0OO coal miners unless the present deadlock is broken by some unforeseen influence, the national convention of the United Mine Workers of America adjourned this aft- ernoon after the dissolution without reaching a settlement of a wage scale, of the joint conference of operators and miners of the Central and the South western districts.
 President John Mitchell of the min CTS union advised the delegates to go home and look to the securing of a de fense fund in view of possible indus trial strife between the miners and operators, the miners having refused to renew the present wage scale and the operators having refused to grant an Increase in wages.
 The apparent determination of both operators and miners indicates that neither will make overtures to the oth- CT for further negotiations; and, as in- dicated by the speeches of both the radicals and conservatives of both organizations at the joint conference it is probable that the $50, 900 men con trolled by the United Mine Workers will walk out of the mines in every part of the United States on April 1. This would prostrate the business of the country if the strike was long drawn out
 There have been intimations, but no assertions, that the president of the United States and the National Civic Federation may be asked to set in mo- tion negotiations looking to a rehabili- tation of the joint agreement or at least a discussion of some possible means of bringing the operators and the miners together for further negotiations.
 At the joint conference of the opera tors and miners Patrick Dolan, presi- dent of the Pennsylvania miners, voted his state for the operators proposition of the present scale, which caused an uproar among the miners. His right to vote the Pennsylvania miners for the continuance of the present scale in spite of the fact that the Pittsburg convention had voted for an increase, was challenged by several other Penn sylvania miners but on an appeal to the chair the vote was so recorded. The motion to adjourn sine die was made by F, l.. Robbins immediately following the announcement that the proposition of the operators as embod- ted in his motion had been defeated.
 President Mitchell has declared that under no circumstances would the min CTS accept any agreement that did not carry with it an increase in wages and the 10lIl6TS COINFllLlOll llcto ull1llltilOQb- ly, with the exception of three votes, indorsed the action of the joint scale committee which refused the proposi- tion of the operators that the present wage scale be continued.
 The strike, should it occur, would be the greatest and most disastrous in the country's history.
 During an interview this afternoon President John Mitchell said:
 "It is true that never in the history of this country has strike of such far reaching effect been threatened. It means a national suspension of mining, if the strike comes on, at the expira- tion of our mining contracts, March 91, and it includes the anthracite districts. I do not know whether this action will have any effect on the meeting of the anthracite miners and operators on February 15, but it is the plan now to meet the anthracite operators at that time"
 According to figures given out by the national officers of the miners organ ization, the expected strike, if there be one, will bring out about 100000 non- union miners in West Virginia and Pennsylvania, with 45O,OOO union min CTS.