The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1906-04-06
MINERS WANT
ARBITRATION
Mitchell Throws BombShell
at Operators.
BAER LIKELY TO REFUSE
If Proposition is Accepted All
Operations Will be Resumed
at Once.
BAER LIKELY TO REFUSE

NEW YORK, April G.-Ilaving failed
10 come to an agreement among them
selves, the hard coal miners Of Penn
Sylvanla. through their representatives,
proposed to the operators that all mat
ters in dispute be referred TO Il board
Of arbitration for settlement. the tri-
hunal to be composed of the board of
Cancellation which was created by the
award of the anthracite strike commits
sion in 1908 with Judge George Gray
OF Delaware, or any person he may ap-
point, rs chairman and umpire.
If the operators accept the PROPOSE
ton and convention of mine workers
approves the plan the 100000 men now
idle in the anthracite fields will return
10 work ut once. While it had been
reported for several days that the min
ers might ask that the differences he
2rbitrated the proposition made TO the
mine owners came to them as a great
surprise. as they did not believe the
union leaders were ready TO leave the
controversy to a third party at this
time
That the operators will accept the
miners proposal as submitted is not
generally believed In fact. it is init
mated they may fatty refuse the offer
ON the ground that existing conditions
are the result Of arbitration. The en-
ployers have decided to carefully con
slider the miners latest move and prom
Use to give President Mitchell and his
men an answer on Monday. when an
other meeting of the two suhcommit-
tees will be held la this city
President Mitchell threw bombshell
into the camp Of the operators by Of
fering TO submit all the points in dis
pute to the board of Cancellation, which
went out of Office with the expiration
Of the three year agreement on March
81.
The board of Cancellation is composed
OF three operators and three representa-
tiyes of the miners union. Judge
George Gray of Delaware. who acted
as chairman of the arbitration com
mittee. is proposed by Mr.. Mitchell rs
the man to name the umpire in case
the Cancellation board should deadlock.
AS it undoubtedly would Oh many Ques-
lions.
Mitchel's move was entirely unex-
pected and COMPOUNDED the seven rail
road presidents making up the oper-
ators committee II puts the situation
right up TO the operators. Mitchells
offer is to submit the questions in dis
pute to a committee in which each
side is equally represented. final de-
cision to rest in the hands of man to
be appointed by Judge Gray. whose
fairness is unqueStioned.
IF the operators don't agree to this.
remarked one Of the union leaders. iii
will be because they invite a strike.
And IL a strike comes, all that will fol-
low will be on the operators, not on us.
We want peace"
The proposition of Mr. Mitchell was
made. as he explained, "in the interests
of peace He set forth that the miners
have real grievances and the only fair
way TO settle them is to take testimony
on both sides. weigh it and leave the
decision to a disinterested person in
case the representatives of the dispu-
tants fail to agree
The conference of the subcommittee
lasted less than AN hour. and al its con
clusion the operators held "a meeting
III a H..
fer. Later they issued the following
statement.
1T should be observed that in the
astutely drawn proposition of Mr..
Mitchell and his committee the oper-
ators are asked to submit TO arbitra-
ton the question of the closed shop
and the check Off 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 organization month
~, the amount thus collected at each
colliery to be turned over TO an au-
morlzed committee at the colliery'-a
plan which would make of every oper-
ator a collecting agency on behalf of
the strike funds of the miners. In
their letter of March 8 to the miners
committee the operators said, concern
ing the check off: AS matter of pol
10y we would not make such an agree
ment as you request and as matter
of law we are not permitted TO make
It.
"On these two subjects also the an
thracite coal commission of 1903 ap.
pointed by President Roosevelt made
the following vigorous declaration:
"orhe right TO remain at work where
others have ceased to worl, on to en-