Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-04-11
ANTHRACITE STRIKE BELIEVED
NEAR END.
WILL MODIFY DEMANDS
Unions Asked More Than They Ex-
pected to Get and VIII Suggest
Terms of Compronlse-Mit Mitchell
Pleased With Stand Taken by the
President.

general belief last night OF those
closely watching the situation about
the anthracite miners headquarters
that the miners have definitely decid-
ed to modify their demands, and will
present them to the operators prob
ably today Some members of the
committee privately admitted before
coming to New York for the present
negotiations that the original demands
were greater than the miners really
expected to get and that the leaders
could afford to trim them down and
still leave the workers enough to he
satisfied.
1t is believed that if the operators
will meet the men half way on some
demands, such as reconstruction OF
the Cancellation boards, eight hour
day and increase in pay for some
classes of labor, the miners would
seriously consider the proposition OF
renewing the strike commission award
for not more than one year.
All district leaders received reports
from the anthracite fields during the
day and evening, and Notwithstanding
reports that more coal was mined
yesterday than Tuesday or Monday,
they declared the situation entirely
satisfactory to them.
Mitchell is devoting almost as
much time TO the situation in the BIZ
luminous fields as he is to the hard
coal regions. He is hourly in re-
ceipt of kilograms from his lieuten-
ants and from the coal operators in
the west He declared himself en-
tirely satisfied with the situation.
When Mitchell was informed that
President Roosevelt had declined to
interfere with the soft coal troubles
he showed great interest and inquired
if the text of the presidents com
munication had been made public He
refused to comment on the presidents
action but he plainly showed that
he was much gratifed at the stand
the president has taken.
Settlement Expected.
Philadelphia, April 5.--Feeling that
a satisfactory arrangement will be
made by the operators and miners
when they again meet in conference
today in New York prevails through
out the anthracite region. This
feeling is due in part to the report
ed conciliatory attitude of both par
ties to the conference and also to re
assuring statements made by returned
delegates to the indianapolis conven-
ton.
While hopeful of peace, however,
the miners are preparing for war, as
is evidenced by the fact that picket
ing has become general throughout
the region. In many cases men on
their way to the mines were stopped
by these pickets yesterday and com
PEELED to prove that they were ex-
empted in Mitchell's order suspend
ing work At Yatesville, near
Wilkesbarre, a number of pumpmen
employed at the Fernwood colliery OF
the Pennsylvania Coal company were
attacked by foreigners, which result
ed in a call for state police. No
arrests were made.
In the upper region the companies
are exerting every effort to operate
their washeries. Some progress has
been made in the vicinity of Scran-
ton, where number of washeries
were worked At Mocanoqua, a.
crowd of Italian mine workers pre-
,ro,+o1 +I,o c-,orotion Of +No uacharV
of the West End Coal company. The
Reading company yesterday received
reports of disturbances in the Schuyl-
kill region, where the company's col
lleries are located. These reports
contained confirmation that a miners
train at Minersville had been partial
ly destroyed by fire during the night,
that the Burnside breaker at Shame
kin had been stoned by breaker boys,
and stick of dynamite found beneath
wheel of a cabin car which stood on
the siding ct an ashpit.
Slow Returning to Work.
Pittsburg, April -Notwithstand
ing the fact that the Pittsburg Coal
company had signed the scale. and
the announcement that the men would
return TO work at once not more
than half of that company's opera
tions are under way This, it was SAID
last night, was due to conflicting or
ders sent out by contesting officers OIL
the local district, in which there
has been a factional fight DOlan,
one of the contesting officers ana
who was charged with holding bacgI
miners from returning to work, made
a statement last night, in which he
denies that ne sent any orders re-
straining miners, and advising them
to return to work at once.
A further development in the soft
coal situation in this district, that
appeared last night, is indicated in a
statement of an independent operator
who has been present at the meetings
of this body and was one of the char
ter members Of the organization
formed Tuesday night. He said:
1T will be al over in a week. It
the Plttsburg Coal company gets ali
its men back to work by next week,
there will be nothing left for the in
dependents to do but sign the scale
Two Miners Shot BY Guards.