The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-05
ANTHRACITE MEN'SVAIN HOPE
SIMPLY WON'T BELIEVE THAT
OPERATORS ARE DETERMINED.
Another Conference To-day Likely to he
without Result-Lehigh Valley u. IL.
Prepares for Strike Mitchell NeNed
With Baer-DeaIerS Corner Goal

With Baer-Dealers Corner Goal.
The repre- sentatives Of the anthracite
operators and miners will confer again
In the Jersey Central Building to-day
JudRing from the attitude Of the operators
the conference will be ~frultless if they are
expected to make any concessions,
The scale committee Of thirty-six of the
miners was in session a good part OF the
day at the Ashland House. There was a
good deal of talk Of differences Of opinion
de- to whether the miners should stand by
the demands as a whole or waive some of
K them. The last of the rumors was that
( the eight hour demand would he insisted
"a for the outside men, or its equivalent in
wages. There was talk of cutting the de-
tnand for an increase in wages from 10 to s
per cent.
These reports we're said to be made on
skood authority hut neither Mitchell nor
the members Of HE comm ittee would stand
for them. Mitchell looked chagrined when
he referred to the statement Of MIR. Baer
That President Mitchell talked and talked
NJ the conferences with the operators and
discussed the brotherhood Of man, but
proposed nothing practical. Though Mr.
1 Baer in the interview did not state any
thing that had actually been done at the
conference, Mitchell insisted that the inter-
view was a breach OF faith.
There was an agreement between the
Committees that nothing more should be
made public Yesterday than that the con
| ference had adjourned until Tomorrow
he said. "In the face Of this come of the
Operators ga We ont g statements that / asked
for an Adjournment,
Az far as could be learned the operators
have q distinct programme, which Is tnat
they will refuse all the demands, while the
miLers, although they have been informed
Of this several times, are Simply hopiIS
After the seal committee adjourned III the
afternoon Mitchell made the following
i statement:
The committee appointed BY the Shamo-
kin convention met AT the Ashland House
to-day and mad under co nsideration the COM
munirati ion from the Governor OF Penn
syivsnia and the offer of the anthracite coal
operators to renew and continue for three
AZ wears the award Of the Anthracite Coal Strike
Commission. 1t was decided that the matter
OF further negotiation and the propositions
of the anthracite miners be referred 10 the
sub committee appointed by the general
committee and that a further meeting will
be held tomorrow at 9 A. NJ.
The committee of seven met later, but
IA NlUCDel WOulu ElNc uO fthtCIiAchN !opSuN "
Mitchell was told Of the report that >. G.
Winder. president Of the Sunday creek
Coal Company and the chairman OF the
last meeting Of the bituminous operators,
had asked the president e, appoint d OF.
z bituminous fields, and that President RooSe-
welt had replied TO Mr.. Winder stating that
he would not interfere in the bitumlnous
situation so long as the situation is as 1t Is
how. Mitchell asked to see the text OF
Mr.. Roosevelt's reply, but no one had it;
Mitchell would not commen on 1t but looked
pleased.
In the evening Mitchell sent to the repor-
ters the following copy OF a letter whlcR
he had sent to Governor Pennypacker OF
Pennsylvania in reply to the letter OF the
latter urging peace;
DEAR SIR: Replying 10 yours OF March
sist, which was forwarded TO me at New
York, ! beg to assure you that every reason
able effort will he made by the miners to secure
A settlement Of their differences with the
anthracite operators without recourse TO a
strike. am, yours truly.
JOIN MITCHELL.
The I,ehiph Valley has followed the lead
of other railroads in preparing for a possible
long continued strike. The company has
cut down the working force on its lines
and improvements which have been pro-
iected have been postponed for the present,
Ii was stated on behalf of the operators
that no guards are being employed IN TINS
city to protect the mines, and none is eN-
pected to be engaged here. The operators
believe that Gov. P~ennypacker viii show
more backbone than Gov. Stone did in the
strike of 1902.
The coal dealers said yesterday that so
far none of the reserve of coal had been
released by the operators. A representa-
tive of the Coal Merchants Association
said that the dealers were moving the
boats as fast as they could from Jersey
City with coal for Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Some of these we're boats belonging to the
dealers. He continued:
According to a representative OF a trans
mort company at 1 Broadway, some OF the
dealers nave cornered a lot Of domestic
anthracite and are keeping it in boats and
barges. ..-
sThey are paying demurrage on it, he
& said, at the rate Of from one to two cents
4 dav. in the evident belief that they will
yet much higher prices for il later
He said tina from the Indications OF the
quantities Of coal on hargss there seemed
10 ba no scarcity at present, but month )
euspension would make a scarcity. .
ON behalf OF the operators it was stated
that they would challenge any dealer TO
show a Casa where coal was refused where
IL was needed. The operators were not
withholding any coal, but would not give
more than was reas onably needed. People
who nee led five tons would not get twenty