The Red Cloud chief., 1906-03-02
ACTS ASPEACEMAKER
ROOSEVELT ADDRESSES LETTER
TO MITCHELL.

u 'geS mat dH RS'cS''S'' Nv
Fields Be Reached to Avoid a Ca
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. on Both SIDES
May &c Offered.
New York, Feb. 27.-President
Roosevelt has again interviewed as %
peacemaker between the coal mlners
and operators, and as the result OF q
letter addressed by him to John Mitch
ell. president of the United Mine
Workers OF America, a national con-
ycntion of miners will be held at In
dianapolis March 10 to try to reach an
agreement with the soft coal oper'
Rtors, with the hope of averting tho
threatened strike Of April | IN the
bitumipous coal fields. The presi'
dents letter and the announcement
that the national convention would be
called were made public by Mr.. Mitch
ell after a long conference with Fran
els l.. Robbins, president OF the Pitts
burg Coal company and chairman OF
the bituminous operators. Also pres
ent a. this conference were w. c..
Perry Of the Southwestern Coal assoc
citation and b. +. Bush, representing
the soft coal interests allied with the
Gould railroads.
The presidents letter to Mr.. Mitch.
ell follows:
IL note with very great concern the
failure of your late convention on the
joint interstate agreement to come
to a basis of settlement of the bitumi.
nous mining scale of wages. You, in
this business, have enjoyed a great
Industrial peace for many years,
thanks to the joint trade agreement
that has resulted in the action of your
successive conventions. A strike, such
As is threatened on April |, Is a men.
Ace to the peace and general welfare
OF the country. | urge you to make a
further effort to avoid such a calamity.
You and Mr.. Robbins are joint chair.
men OF the trade agreement commit.
tee of the National Civic Federation,
and il seems to me that this imposes
additional duty upon you both and
gives an additional reason why each
of you should join in making a further
effort"
The conference did not adjourn un-
til nearly 8 o'clock last night, when
Mr.. Mitchell announced that after the
reading of President Roosevelt's letter
It was agreed both by himself and the
operators that the national convention
should be called.
The miners were in session recent-
1y at Indianapolis, but failed to reach
an agreement with the operators.
President Mitchell himself has been
quoted as saying that so far as he
know there certainly would be a strike
in the bituminous fields April 1.
The negotiations for an agreement
between the hard coal workers and
the anthracite operators have been
progressing smoothly to all outward
appearances and arrangements have
been made for a joint conference to-
morrow between the subcommittee
having the settlement of the differ.
ences in hand.
With the anthracite negotiations
well under way, President Mitchell
has been devoting most of his time to
bringing about a settlement of the
differences in the soft coal regions.
March Is. Mr.. Mitchell believes, is
the earliest date the convention can
be summoned and he believes that II
there is to be peace the two weeks
between the date fixed for the miners
assembly and April |, when the pres,
Cnt agreement with the operators eX
pires, is sufficient time to bring about
the desired result. Mr.. Mitchell would
not indicate what new propositions
Will he placed before the miners, but
significance is attached to his state
mont that the operators agreed that
the convention should be called. Con
c%essions, maybe on both sides. may be
offered, and President Roosevelt's in
tercst in the situation may be held as
an additional reason for bringins
about a new agreement.
TiLLMAN REPORTS RATE BILL