The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1906-04-28
BARONS REJECTED
LAST PROPOSAL
OF MINERS
CLAIM ADVANCE ASKED WOULD
MEAN INCREASE TO CON-
sUMER or SO CENTS.
ASK FOR ARBITRATION
Pointing Out That Failure to Meet
Operators on Either Proposition
Responsibility For Strike
Rests With Men.

New York April 27.-The anthracite
operators committee today rejected
all of the latest propositions of the
ter received by Mr.. Baer yesterday
The operators gave out a statement
tonight defining their attitude, They
regret that the miners reject the prop
ostion of arbitration by the strike
commission and point out that they
term inaccuracies in that part OF tho
miners statement touching this mat
ter.
The operators say;
I'VE observe that, as you suggest.
you have abandoned the various de.
mands contained in your original com.
munication and that your present prop
csitions differ entirely therefrom and
concern merely the matter of wages.
These propositions seem to be based
upon the impression that wages in the
anthracite industry are unduly low
even before the advances which were
made by the award of the strike CON.
mission were found to be to the con.
trary."
The operators then give detailed fig
ures to support this statement, and
say that to accept the sliding scale of
wages proposed by the miners would
mean an increase in price of coal to
the public of tbirty-six cents ton.
Tho Ioffar cnntinuac.
But If we disregard the sliding
scale and assume that you simply
mean to add ten cents per ton as a
final increase In cost, this would re
suit in increasing wages of our EN-.
ployes SO, 100000 per annaum; that
Is, ten cents per ton on 61,000, 900 out
put You say, 1t will not result in inn
posing additional burdens upon the
coal consuming public. How can this
be done? Where is the $1,000 900 to
come from, we have shown you that
in the largest companies profit, with
out interest and royalty has yielded
less than three percent on the capital
invested. The operators therefore
cannot. afford to pay this large annual
increase without imposing additional
burdens upon the coal consuming pub
lie"
The operators then take up the
ward of the strike commission and pro.
duce statistics to show there has been
no increase In profits of the business
upon which could be based any claim
for increased wages. Operators claim
hat If the miners proposition included
the sliding scale II would add thirty
1--WE cents a ton TO the cost of domestic
sizes and would increase the aggregate
cost to the public of the entire pro
iuct over S12.000.000.
The state concludes:
In view of all the circumstances
We are satisfied the true course was
in our original proposition
should be continued for three years.
I'VE trust that on Thursday next.
he deliberate judgment on the part NJ
he anthracite workers will result in
he acceptancme of that proposition
,ut if not that they will join with US
n the arbitration which we have of
cred.
Failing to meet MS on either prop-
,slt'on the responsibility OF strike
must rest upon YOU"
Scranton, Pa. April 27.-President
Mitchell tonight was shown the ASso-
lated Press Dispatch announcing the
iperators had rejected the miners /
propositions. He declined to make no 4
statement until he has seen the off /
,ial reply. /