New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-02-26
MINERS WIN-LEWIS.
Conflicting Statements from Nine
WOrkers Official and Operator.

TWO statements were issued last night one bv
T. l. Lewis, vice president of the United Mine
workers Of America, in which he said there
would be no strike of the mine workers on
Aprii l. as the operators would restore the re-
ouo'ioh accepted by the miners two years ago
ana perhaps more: the other by Francis L. Rob-
oins' president of the Pittsburg Coal Company
ana chairman of the operators committee in
winch he enphatically denied that the operators
had agreed to grant the miners wage increase
OF 3.o5 per cent. and declared his belief tba,
there would be a strike
indianapolis, Feb. 25-In "A statement issued
to-hishI /. l.. Lewis, Nice-president OF the
Chi'ea Mine Workers of America declared
uaat there would be no strike of the mine work
ers on April l. saying the operators would re-
store the reduction accented bv the miners two
years ago, and perhaps more The statement
follows:
You may accept one proposition as a 6xed
tact-that there Will be no general strike i'm the
mining Industry on April l. The operators will
restore the reduction accepted by the miners
two years ago, and perhaps more F. L. Rob
oins' OF pennsylvania, and Mr.. Taylor of HIi-
hois' leaders OF the operators. recognize their
untenaoie position at Indianapolis and have
erhcerully submitted 10 the inevitable and will
pay an advance to the miners 4 general strike
WlA De aVerted. Business will not be paralvzed
py ,noustrlal strife. An OF peace will be
eslaohshec Tor another period of years, and the
uaoe agreement method of settling labor dis
putes VIII win new friends TO its standard
The anthracite operators must now grant an
advance In view of the action of the bituminous
operators. The details will be worked out later
ana PROBABLY through special national conven-
ton of the mine workers.
for TWO years 1t has been my determined pur-
pose 10 nave all wage agreements of the miners
terminate on the same date, so that unity of ac-
lloh might be secured without violating existing
agreements on April /, 1906. The first move In
this direction made in Pittsburg Kan in
the summer of 1904, when the expiration date
or the contract was extended from the end of
August to the end OF March this year Prac-
lcally ali OF our agreements expire on March 81
next next by virtue Of this arrangement the mine
workers OF the country now in a position to
compel the operators to deal with us justly
Al tne recent joint convention i'm Indiana polls
advocated an advance for the miners, because
L believe they. entitled TO *. The iron and
steel industry and the railroads of the country
very large consumers of cOal-were never more
prosperous Than now. From admissions made
by those engaged in the production of coAl and
dependent largely upon the above named indus
tries. IL must have been apparent that a few
cents ton advance 10 the miners was not TO
stand In the way of the continued prosperous
oondluon OF the iron. steel and railroad inter-
ests. The operators at the recent Indiana polls
convention showed the strongest evidence of the
weakness of their position when they ignored our
arguments that they could pay an advance to
the mineWorkerS at the present selling price of
coal and still make a large profit Developments
will prove additional facts, namely:
First-That some OF the large corpora tions
represented at the recent indianapolis Joint con-
vention were not in position to make a sue
cessful resistance of the miners demands
Second-That the great coal consuming public
will not materially suffer by reason of the ad-
vance which will be granted to the miners.