Omaha daily bee., 1906-02-14
HARD COAL MINERS SCALE
Special Comm ties for Anthracite Workers
Perfect Their Demands.
OPERATORS ALSO HOLD A CONFERENCE
Statement that M Increase OF
Wages or Other Concessions of
Any Kind VIII be
Granted.
OPERATORS ALSO HOLD A CONFERENCE

NEW YORK, Feb. 13-The special scale
committee of the anthracite mine workers
numbering thirty-six men, tonight held its
first meeting since coming to New York, at
which it took up the demands to be pre-
scented to the operators at the conference
on Thursday. The subcommittee, which
has had charge of getting the grievance in
| shape for formal presentation to the en-
! ployers held an all-day session, but was
unable to complete it's work. In order to
save time tomorrow it was decided to call
the full committee together tonight
formally to go over the work that hiss
been completed.
President Mitchell and the other MEM
bers of the committee remain silent as to
the exact nature OF the demands to he
made. 1t is understood that the miners
will put up strong fight for change in
the methods of the board OF conciliatio
The mine workers are dissatisfied with
the present method of settling difficulties
and say there will always be friction until
a better method Of adjusting disputes is
found. There is a growing belief that IL
the operators will be liberal in granting
4 concessions TO the miners, the demand for
the recognition of the union may not be
pressed.
Edward Mckay of Pittsburg, national
organizer of the miners union, who was
sent for by Mr.. Mitchell for the purpose
of discussing the situation in the Pitts
burg district is i'll in a Jersey City hos
| phal. He was taken sick on train while
en- route to New York, His condition Is
not regarded as serious and he probably
will be able to leave the institution to-
/ morrow.
Operators VIII Refuse Advance.
The anthracite mine operators, including
| the presidents of the coal carrying rail-
roads and several independent operators,
came to general agreement today as
to the policy they will pursue at the con-
ference to be held on Thursday between
themselves on the one hand and the presi-
| dent and other representatives of the
| United Mine Workers on the other All
| the presidents of the anthracite roads and
| a number of independent operators are
| expected to be present, and about fifteen
| of the miners committee. including Presi-
/ dent Mitchell. 1t is expected that the
miners committee will put forward their
demands at the first meeting The inten-
/ ton Of the operators is then to adjourn
the meeting in order to take time to con-
slider their reply. The president of one
road said to the Associated Press today
that while the operators know their posi-
ton they will not reply hastily. but give
due consideration to the demands of the
union. #
The presidents of the coal carrying roads
are unwilling to discuss for publication
the questions at issue between themselyes
and the United Mine Workers prior to their
meeting with Mr. Mitchell and his assoc
7 niatpS their al h..
! full canvass is as one president put il, such
| that the miners will have to strike or
/ back down"
we do not propose he said TO ac.
cede to their demands in any way, and
do not see what else they can do but
strike They are coming into this con-
ference to demand an eight-hour day and
recognition of the union, besides other
things. II was clearly shown in the report
of the Anthracite Strike commission in
1902 that the miners do not work eight
hours day, and the claim Is only a dis
guised demand for high rate OF wages
per hour, as was explained in Mr.. Wilcox )
recent letter to Mr., Mitchell"
The Anthracite commission" continued
the president, "also decided that IL was
the right Of the operators to employ either
union or nonunon miners without discrimi-
nation These are the two main points
of the demand the miners committee will
make and both have already been decided
by an eminent commission and have been
adhered to vigorously. The miners have
no complaint TO make simply another de-
mand, which" said the operator, they
have a perfect right To do"
But" he continued. II wish the leaders
would understand that these demands will
not be met We shall couch our refusal
/ 10 meet them I'm the most courteous and
diplomatic terms and give them every OPP
portunity TO back down gracefully. 1t Is
1 our sincere hope that there will be no
rupture, We are willing to continue under
the present arrangement, where the miners
are receiving the high wage mark"
SCRANTON, Pa Feb lS.-The miners