The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1906-02-28
HAS AGAIN INTERVIEWED
President Roosevelt's Letter tc
John Mitchell.
CONVENTION CALLED MARCH is
Long Conference Between John Nit
chelI and Representatives Of Soft
Coal lnterests-Possible Agreement
Between the Anthracite Operators
and Hard Coal Men.

Coal lnterests-Possible Agreement,
Between the Anthracite Operators
and Hard Coal Men.
New York, Feb. 27. - President
Roosevelt has again intervened as 6
peacemaker between the coal miners
and operators and as the result of G
letter addressed by him to John Mitch
ell, president of the United Mine
Workers of America, a national con
vention of the miners will be helC
March Is to try to reach an agreement
with the soft coal operators in the
hope of averting the threatened strike
of April l in the bituminous coal
fields.
The presidents letter and the an
nouncement that the convention would
be called were made public last night
by Mr.. Mitchell after a long confer
ence with Francis l.. Robbins, presi
dent of the Pittsburg Coal company
and chairman of the bituminous opera
tors. Present at this conference were
w. c. Perry of the Southwestern Coal
association and B. F. Bush, represent
ing the soft coal interests allied with
the Gould railroads.
The presidents letter is dated Wash
ington, Feb. "a, and says:
"Sir-I note with very great con
cern the failure in your late conven
tion on the joint interstate agreement
to come to basis of settlement of the
bituminous mining scale of wages
You in this business have enjoyed a
great industrial peace for many years
thanks to the joint trade agreement
that has resulted in the action of your
successive conventions.
"a strike such as is threatened on
April 1 is a menace to the peace and
general welfare of the country.
urge you to make a further effort tc
avoid such calamity.
"You and Mr.. Robbins are Joint
chairmen Of the trade agreement com
mittee Of the National Civic Fedora
tion and 1t seems to me that this i'm
poses additional duty upon you both
and gives an additional reason why
each of you should join in making
further effort.
VERY respectfully,
Theodore Roosevelt"
The conference did not adjourn
until nearly o'clock last night, when
Mr. Mitchell announced that it was
agreed by both himself and the oper
ators that the national convention
should be called.
President Mitchell himself has been
quoted as saying that as far as he
knew there certainly would be strike
in the bituminous fields April /.
The negotiations for an agreement
between the hard coal workers and the
anthracite operators have been pro
crossing smoothly, to all outward ap
pearances, and arrangements have
been made for joint conference Wed
nesday between the subcommittee
having the settlement of the Difficult
ties in hand.
Mr.. Mitchell believes that March 10
Is the earliest date the convention can
be summoned and he believes that II
there is to be peace the two weeks be
tween the date fixed for the miners as
sembly and April 1, when the present
agreement with the operators expires
is sufficient time to bring about the de
sired result.
Mr.. Mitchell would not indicate what |
new propositions will be placed be |
fore the miners, but significance is
attached to his statement that the op.
orators at yesterdays conference
agreed that the convention should be
called.