The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1906-03-30
LOOK To PUB
Lie OPINION


this evening to meet again at 8 o'clock
Wednesday when further discussion
will be INDUCED in. A vote should
be reached by tomorrow night. One
of the purposes of the meeting this
afternoon was to give both sides
chance to make their position clear
before the public. The speeches were
addressed to the great American
public" There was not speech made
but that it referred to the final de-
cision of the American public" Both
sides at last seem to realize that pub
lie opinion is going to settle this
strike.
And both sides admitted in their
speeches that if there is a strike 1t
won't last longer than sixty days be-
cause the public would not tolerate
| it.
WANT INTERVENTION
The Illinois operators especially
want Intervention by the president.
They have in conjunction with all
other operators had their lightning
! IOuS up lOE u WSch uOplue IlIO piSoA-
dent would suggest arbitration.
Probably if strike comes or rath-
er if failure to reach settlement
comes the operators themselves will
be the first to ask the president for
Intervention.
The operators figured tonight that
by suspension of so days they have
everything to gain and nothing to
lose. All operators have an enormous
stock of coal on hand, due to the mild
winter just passed. They want to
sell this at big advance. They can
afford to stay shut down sixty days,
sell their stores of coal at twice what
they would get were there no strike
imminent or in progress and at the
end of that time say to the miners
we will accept your wage scale of
5.55 per cent advance.
When the miners and operators met
this afternoon at Tomlinson Hall in
joint conference to receive the re-
port of the joint scale committee OF
its inability to agree, the hall was
crowded Besides the 1000 miner del
gates who were seated on the west
side of the house and the six hundred
operators, who filled the east section
there many representatives of railroad
and commercial companies and several
hundred indianapolis people who have
been following the coal controversy
very closely.
Twenty newspaper correspondent
were at the press tables, and John
Mitchell took his old seat near then
and F. l.. Robbins his old position
at the head of the operators side o
the house. The gravity of the situa'
tion was impressive.
SCALE COMMITTEE REPORT.
1t was little after two o'clock wher
Chairman George w. Traer, of Illinois
called the joint conference to order anG
asked Secretary Wilson for the repor
of the scale committee. The repor
followed by the miners and operators
c. l.. Scroggs read the report of the
! scale committee, showing inability t
T agree on any important point. Il
J lasted five minutes. 1t reported tha
during its sessions j. II. Winder NOV
) ed return to the scale of two years
, ago A motion of Winder for a return
to the 1903 scale and providing for &
, differential between the Pennsylvania
district and the Hooking Valley dis
| t,.inf Of voted down
For some time after the adoption
l of the report the delegates maintained
strict silence waiting for some ont
to make a move.
John Mitchell then moved that as {
basis of settlement there be restora
ton of the mining scale and the day
work scale and the dead work scale o
1903. j. II. Winder discussed the mo
ton for the operators. Winder said
Under existing conditions the state
of Illinois, Indiana and Ohio believe
I an advance in wages unwarranted.
, few weeks ago man in Pennsylvania
; (Robbins) told you that an increas
D was impossible and that you miner
were grasping at the moon. If tn
. state of Pennsylvania is able to pa.
the increase we shall not seriously op
: pose. We other states are not abl
I to pay and we appeal to your fairness
l move as a substitute to Mr. Mitch
: ellis motion that the mining seal
which expires April /. 1906, with Dan
, ville,' Ills, as a basis point be re-af
firmed."
Vice President Lewis, of the miners
declared that the conditions which pre-
vailed when the 1908 wage scale wa
, reduced do not prevail today. "Ther
{ is not a state or district in the coun
:. try unable to pay the increase W
demand and make a profit, said Lew
s is 1.-THE operators have not told Il