The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1906-03-01
PRESIDENT EAGER
TO AVERT STRIKE
INTERVIEWS FOR PEACE IN The
COAL TROUBLES.
LETTER TO JOHN MITCHELL
Urges Further Effort to Reach Trade
Agreement-As Result Nation
al Convention Is Called For
March IS.

3.
New York, Feb. IL President
Roosevelt has again interviewed as a
peacemaker between the coal miners
and operators, and as the result of a
letter addressed by him to Johu
Mitchell, president of the United Mine
Workers of America, national CON
vention of the United Miners will be
held March Is to try TO reach an
agreement with the soft coal operators,
in the hope of averting the threat
ened strike Of April in the bitumin-
GUS coal fields.
The presidents letter and the an
nouncement that the national conven-
ton would be called were made public
Monday night by Mr.. Mitchell, after 4
long conference with Francis l.. Rob
bins, president of the Pittsburg Coal
company, and chairman of the BIZ
luminous operators, who came to New
York Monday morning. Also presen.
at this conference were w. G. Perry Of
the south%estern Coal association, ana
B. F. Bpsh, representing the soft coal
interests allied with the Gould rail-
roadsG
Letter of the President.
I The presidents letter 10 Mr.. Mitchell
follows:
White House, Washington, D. c.,
Feb. 24.-Sir: | note with very great
concern the failure of your late con-
yention on 1.-THE joint interstate agree.
ment TO come to basis of settlement
of the bituminous mining scale OF
wages. You in this business have en-
joyed great industrial peace for
many years, thanks to the joint trade
agreement that has resulted in the ac-
ton of your successive conventions
"A strike such as is threatened on
April l is a menace to the peace and
general welfare OF the country. / urge
you to make a further effort to avoid
such calamity.
you and Mr.. Robbins are joint
chairman of the trade agreement COM
mittee of the National Civic Fedora
ton, and it seems to me that this i'm
poses additional duty upon you both
and gives an additional reason whv
each of You SHOULD join in making a
further EFFORT. Very respectfully,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
Agree to Call Convention.
The conference did not adjourn I'M
Ill nearly eightroclock Monday night,
when Mr.. Mitchell announced that af-.
ter the reading OF President Roose-
velt's letter it was agreed both by him
self and the operators that the ma
tional convention should be called. The
miners we're in session recently at
Indianapolis, but failed to reach an
agreement with the operators Presi-
dent Mitchell himself has been quoted
as saying that so far as he knew there
would certainly be strike in the BIZ
luminous fields April /. The negotia-
tons for an agreement between the
hard coal workers and the anthracite
operators have been progressing
smoothly, to all appearances, and ar
rangements have been made for Joint
conference Wednesday between the
subcommittee having the settlement
of the difficulties in hand. With the
anthracite negotiations well under
way, President Mitchell has been de-
voting most of his time to bring about
a settlement of the differences in the
soft coal regions.
Both May Make Concessions.
Mr.. Mitchell has not announced any
details. Of Mondays conference, nor
did he say just when the call for the
convention, which will, fix the place
of meeting, will be sent out. March is
be 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 present agreement with the
operators expires, is sufficient time TO
bring about the desired result. Mr..
Mitchell would not indicate what new
propos' ions will be placed before the
miner but significance Is attached to
his tsatemsnt that the operators at
Mondays conference agreed that the
convention should be called. Conces-
Bions, maybe on both sides, will be Of
fered, and President Roosevelt's inter
est In the situation will be held as an
additional reason for bringing about a
new agreement