Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1906-04-06
TOday's Telegraphic News
The Operators and Miners.

Ah0 OPEAalOhE anu
New York, April 6.-Pending de-
cision by the anthracite operators,
whether they will accept the miners pro-
posal for an arbitration of their differ.
ences, the question of peace or war in
the hard coal fields hangs in the balance.
The operators decision will be made
known at the joint meeting of the opera
tors and miners on Monday afternoon,
but limitations were not lacking this
morning that the operators would refuse
to submit their differences TO an arbltra-
ton board This belief was strengthen
ed by public utterances of David Will
cox, of the Delaware aud Hudson Com
pany, who says that the award OF the an
thrscite commission was conclusive as 10
all facts and issues and that no new facts
have been brought to public attention
since the award.
The operators after much cOnsidera-
ton of John MitchePs proposition de-
clared in public statement that the pro-
pGsal of an agreement to end in l9O8-a
presidential year-affords ga new oppOr-
tunity to make this great industry the
football of politics"
Tho operators again called attention
TO the fact that the laws of Pennsylvania
forbade an agreement on the "check-ofP'
system. and that as a matter OF further
fact they would not agree to il.
The operators did not indicate that
they would not submit the question o.
wages aud hours, as we'll as reconstruct
ed Cancellation board to arbitration. This
is taken as hopeful sigr by the miners,
who believe that Mitchell's move has
placed the operators in such position
that il they refuse to arbitrate the public
will swing its full influence to the cause
of the miners. The operators are giving
The proposal their iull consideration,
aud whatever their answer may be, it will
be the ext res-ion of much thought and
consideration. The operators are to-
day sounding the opinions of indepen-
dent operators on The proposition for
arbitration.
It hes been practically decided that
the next convention of miners will be
held at HsEetOn.
There was brief meeting of the scale
committee this moroiug but nothing Of
importance WAS done. Mr.. Mitchell
was ASKED what he had TO say regarding
the statements Of Wilcox, and he re-
piled thst he had nothing to say. 'Do
you think the proposition for arbitration
will be accepted? 81 have hopes that
it will would not have proposed it
unless | thought so. "
Mr.. Mitchell would not talk about
alegei dynamite outrages near Wilkes
Barre. He said the situation in the
bi,umin0us fields was AS satisfactory as
he bad hoped. Mr. Mitchell said that
none of the miners in Indiana had Ie-
turned to work under the old wage scale
and that the miners would not return 10
work until the wage scale OF 1903 was
signed.
Philadelphia, April 6.-At the Offices
OF the Philadelphia & Reading Coal and
Iron Company. here, this morning, it
was admitted that all OF the anthracite
operators had been sounded regarding
the mine workers arbitration PROPOSE
ton and that The operators will absolutely
decline to submit any of the questions
at issue to arbitration.
indianapolis. Ind April g. John
H. Winder a lea 'er of the bituminous
coal "standpatter" operators, today lele-
graphed to President Roosevelt and to
President Mitchell, Of the United Mine
Workers of America, that the btumi-
nous operators of Ohio proposed to
Mitchell to settle the strike in the btu
minous districts on the same term that
Mitchell proposes to the anthracite oper-
ators by arbitration The offer regarded
as a skillful move made by Mitchell and
the anthracite miu~rs scale committee to
the anthracite operators yesterday sitter
noon to throw their points of controversy
to arbitration is thus set upon the btu
minOus operators, who are holding alool
from meeting the miners demand e.
Winder, operators representatives say,
has caught Mitchell in his own trap.
The miners did not wish TO have their
case arbilrated; the anthracite operators
do not wish arbitration of their dif-
ierences.