Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1906-02-27
President Sends Letter to Mitchell.

President Roosevelt has sgain inter-
vened as a pescemaker between the coal
miners and operators, and as the result
OF a letter addressed by him to John
Mitchell, president Of the United Nine
workers of America, national conven-
ton of the United Miners will be held
March Is to try to reach an agreement
with the soft coal operators in the hope
of avertiug the threatened strike of april
in the bituminous coal fields.
The Presidents letter and the an'
nouncemert that the national c0nven-
ton would be callel were made public
in New York last night by Mr.. Mitchell,
after a long conference with Frank l..
Robbins, president Os the Pittsburg Coal
Company and chairman of the bitumin-
GUS operators.
Also present at this conference were
VIC. Perry, of The Southwestern Coal
Association, and B. f. Bush, represent
ing the soft coal interests allied with the
Gould railroads.
The Presidents letter to Mr.. Mitchell
follows:
Washington, February "A.
Sir: note with very great concern
the failure of your last convention on
the joint interstate agreement TO come 10
basis of settlement of the btuminous
mining scale of wages. You in this
busieess have enjoyed great industrial
peace for many years, thanks to the
Joint trade agreement that has resulted
in the action OF your successive con-
yentiOus.
A strike such as is threatened on April
| is a menace to the peace and general
welfare of the country. | urge you to
make further effort to avoid such a
calamity.
You and Mr.. Robbins are joint chair
men of the trade agreement committee
of the National Civic Federation, and il
seems to me that this imposes additional
duty upon you both snd gives an addi-
tional reason why esch Of you should join
in making a fuither effort.
Very respectfully,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
The conference did not adjourn until
nearly s o'clock last night. when Mr..
Mitchell announced that after the read
ing of President ROOseveps letter it was
agreed both by himself and the operators
that The national convention should be
called. The miners were in session
recently at indianapolis, but failed to
reach an agreement with the operators.
President Mitchell himself has been
quoted as saying tJat, so far as he knew,
there would certainly be strike in the
bituminous fields April /.
Mr.. Mitchell would not indicate what
new propositions will be placed before
the miners, but significance is attached
TO his statement that the operators at
Yesterdays conference agreed that the
convention should be called. Conces-
sions, waybe on both sides, will be Of
tered, and President RoOsevelfs interest
in the situation will be held as an addi-
tiousl reason for bringing about new
agreement.
Mr.. Mitchell yesterday lnd0rsed the
opinion that there will be no general
strike OF coal miners on April l next,
which was given out Sunday night in
indianapolis by Vice President I L.
Lewis, of the United Mneworkers.
President Mitchell was shown the vice
presidents statement, in which the lat
ter said, in addition to the assertion
there will be no general strike in the
mining industry April /, that opera
tors will restore the reduction accepted
by the miners two years ago, and per-
haps more, and that an era OF peace
will be established for another period of
years.
Alter hearing this statement President
Mitchell said 81 guess that Is H. ht. "
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