The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-06

al authoritative source IL was learned
that no decision was arrived at, because
the seven operators making up the COM
mittee felt that they should get the views
of all the interests involved before coming
to any real agreement. This will be done
between now and Monday. The time APP
.pointed for the answer to be deliyored by
Ithe operators is / o'clock on Monday.
One of those present at the conference
said that the answer would undoubtedly
be ready at that time. Bstween o and
then Mr.. Baer and. the other members arc
to sound the different independent opera
.lpors not represented on the committee
land all the members Of the operators
.scale committee, which, like that OF the
miners, is made up Of thirty-siS men,
I, This statement was given out at Q o'clock
tlast night by the operators;
OPERATORS NOT PLRAsEp WITH TIE PLAN,
/. at should be observed that in the astutely
tdraw n proposition of Mr.. Mitchell and his
.committeemen the operators are asked
to submit to arbitration the question OF the
closed shop and the 'check-of' system :
a scheme requiring, in the words OF the
miners committee, that each company
shall collect from each employee such
amounts as may be levied by their or
fganization monthly, the amount thu
collected at each colliery to be turned over
to an authorized committee at the col
lieries.' Such a plan would make OF every
operator a collecting agency on behalf OF
the strike funds of the miners. In their
letter Of March Q to the miners committee
the operators said, concerning the check
Off: AS a matter of policy we would
not make such an agreement as you re-
quest. and, as a matter Of law, we are not
permitted TO make it.
aOn these two subjects also the an
thrac cite coal commission of 1902, appointed
by President Roosevelt, made the following
vigorous declaration;
I The right TO remain ar work where others
have ceased to work or TO engage anew in
work which others have abandoned is part
of the personal liberty Of a citizen that can
never be surre7dered and every in frin cement
thereof merits and should receive the stern
announcement of law. All government inn
plies restrsint. and II is not less but more
necessary in f-governing communities
than in others to compel restraint of the
passions of men which make for disorder
and lawlessness.
b Our language Is the language Of a free
DeOIllt dIu ltllS u Az ~ II "a ctNNN'
BY which the rights of a citizen to work when
he pleases for whom he pleases can be sue
cessfully denied. The common sense of our
people as we'll as the common law forhids
that this right should be assailed with I'M
punity. 1t is vain to. say that the man who
remains at work while others cease 70 work
or takes the place Of one who has abandoned
his work helps TO defeat the aspirations Of
men who seek TO obtain better recompense
-. k.i. 10 bor and bertar conditions nf life
st should he observed also that Mr..
Mitchell's committee abandons the pro-
posa! for a one year agreement and sug-
Rests an arbitration, the terms OF which
would expire on April I, 1908, a presidential
year, affording a new opportunity to make
this great industry the football Of politics.
The operators had already offered, it will
be remembered, to extend the findings OF
the coal commission to April 1, 1907
THE MINERS PROPOSITIONS,
The propositions which the miners,
Through Mr.. Mitchell, propose to submit to
arbitration are seven in number. They
are:
An agreement for one year with the
United Mine Workers OF America, involv-
ing a wage scale, committee Of miners at
eaCn COlltTy anu euIci Slo ny NHt Nip-
trict officers Of the colliery operations,
an eight hour day, a uniform scale OF wages
throughout the region, an increase OF 10
per cent. to all men working nde con-
tracts and an additional 10 per cent. to
all men using safety lamps, weighing OF
coal, the check off system and a recon-
struction Of the board Of Cancellation, so
that it would consist Of several boards
with greater representation to the
interests
While the statement given above was the
only one coming directly from the opera
tors committee, their attitude in regard
to Mr.. Mitchell's arbitration proposition
would seem to be outlined in a printed
statement made by President David Will
cox Of the Delaware and Hudson company
and given to the newspapers yesterday.
In this statement, after rehearsing the
the events leading up to the appointment
of the anthracite strike commission, Mr..
Wilcox says:
;! DECISIONS WERE oNCE FOR ALL.
! All the existing relations between the en-
ployers and the employees are. therefore,
the result Of past arbitration and have been
established by awards already made, either
nv the strike commission or by the concilia-
ton board. These conditions have followed
after radical differences between the parties.
which deeply involved the general welfare.
we're the result of probably the most con-
scientious and exhaustive examination ever
given 10 any similar matter. and have not even
been the subject of serious criticism.
Mr.. Wilcox says that it seems scarcely
conceivable that n party should seek
to renew the grave controversies settled
by that commission He goes On:
The award Of the commission and the
action Of the Cancellation board hereunder
ehould, therefore,. he deemed conclusive as
to facts and issues which they have covered.
Clearly the only question properly open is
whether there arc any new facts which raise
new questions beyond the scope OF the arbi-
tration which has taken place.
No such new facts have been brought to
public attention, and no specific facts Of the
sort, as distinguished from generalities. are
contained in the paper which has been sub
mitted by the committee representing the
employees or in the subsequent letter Of its
chairman. on the contrary, it appears from
an examination of that paper that the sub
ject matter of its provisions lie fully covered
by the awards already made.
No reasons or grounds are given for disre-
-