Daily Kennebec journal., 1906-04-06
Miners Propose Settle
ment by Arbitration.
L Operators Accept and Min.
ers' Convention Approves
The Idle Men will Return 10 Work-.-A
Refusal Is Expected.

Arbitration is proposed by the an
tllraCitc miners. whose general scale
committee held another session with
the representatives of the operators in
New York Thursday If the operators
agree to the plan aud il is approved
by convention Of miners, operations
| in the hard coal fields will be resumed
at once. The operators do not look
with favor on the plan but will give
their answer to the miners next Mon
| day.
| Reports from various sections of the
soft coal field show that conditions in
| those fields are improving. There was
more coal mined in that territory than
On any day since the strike was i'll
augurated. The production of coal,
however, is not as large as was expect
| ed.
Patrick Dolan former president Of
the Pittsburg district of the Miners
Union and Uriah Bellingham, former
vice president of the same district,
have been expelled from the organiza-
ton for voting against instructions
New York. April 5.-Having failed
To come TO an agreement among them
selves. the hard coal miners of Penn
sylvania. through their representa-
tiNes, today proposed to the operators
that all matters in dispute be referred
to a board of arbitration for settle
mcnt, the tribunal to be composed of
| the board of conciliation which was
created by the award of the anthracite,
strike commission in 1903 and Judge
George Gray, of Delaware or any per-
son lie may appoint as chairman and
umpire. If the operators accept the
proposition and convention of mine
workers approves the plan, the 100000
men now idle in tho anthracite fields
will return to work at once. While il
had been reported for several days that
the miners might ask that the differ
cnccs be arbitratcd, the proposition
made TO the mine owners today came
To them with great surprise. as they
did not believe the union leaders were
ready tn leave the controversy to
third party al this time.
That the operators will accept tile
miners proposition as submitted is not
generally believed; in fact it is iuti-
mated they may fatty refuse the offer
on The ground that existing conditions
are tho result Of arbitration. The en-
poycrS have decided to carefully con-
slider the miners latest move and
~ omiSr To give President Mitchell and
lis rrn N answer on Monday when
~ other meeting of the two sub-c
mttccs Will he held
The text Of the arbitration proposal
rs submitted to the operators is as
follows:
"'fh" subcommittee Of operators an,
miners met 1t ! o'clock today and th.
miners submitted the following prnposi-
tinn:
"Thc committee appointed at the Sham
okin convention Of December last rcprn-
sentinG the employees of tho various com
panics operating the mines. washeries
and breakers In the anthracite coal re-
gion, having under consideration oup
proposition to you. date Feb q. together
with your committees proposition of
March 2. which was a continuation OF the
award Of the anthracite coal strike com.
mission and letter from the governor OF
Pennsylvania have decided in favor ..
the great public interest involved. aside
from those we represent directly, that /.
is our duty to make some further effort
and even a sacrihc of what We believe
Justly our duty i'm the matter of wages
and conditions of employment in order
that a great public calamity may be
averted. Therefore We propose that sub
Jcct to the approval of a convention OF
Continued on Page Twelve)