New-York tribune., 1906-04-02
FEAR RUN ON THE YARDS.
Coal Merchants An.rious as to Result
of To-morro1C's Conference.

While the coal merchants in this city do not
expect any yielding on the part Of the operators
when they have the conference with President
Mitchell and his committee of anthracite work
ers tomorrow. they are looking forward, 1t was
said last evening. with great anxiety to the re-
suit of the conference. They say that they fear
that their inability 70 supply the demand for
domestic anthracite as quickly as the consumers
want it will cause on the yards. Many OF
the consumers laid in their winter stock of coal
in anticipation of a strike. but large number
waited until the strike was actually declared In
the hope that there would be no strike, and that
they might yet get the benefit Of the summer
reduction in prices. Some of the dealers say that
speculators were busy before the situation be-
came acute and that there must be large sup
plies Of anthracite which cannot be found at
present, so that an estimate of the actual guam
tity on hand throughout the country would be
the merest guess. They fear, they say, that the
operators will pursue the policy of dealing out
the reserve in small quantities. which will make
the consumers believe that anthracite is scarcer
than it really is It was said last evening that
meeting of the Coal Merchants Association
would be held some time this week to get an ac-
curate idea of the quantity of coal available in
New York
The anthracite operators committee of seven
made public yesterday letter from the Rev
Peter Roberts. or Mahanoy CITY, PENN, IN Wnlcn
MI Roberts deals with the coal situation. Mr..
Roberts who has lived with the mine workers
for years. and many Of whom attend his church.
has always sy-mpathized with them and ap
peared on their behalf before the Anthracite
Strike Commission in 1902. He is considered one
of the best authorities the coal situation IN
this country. and has written two books on the
subject entitled THE Anthracite Coal Industry"
and Anthracite Coal Commission"
In his letter Mr.. Roberts says that in his opn
ion a mere majority should not decide so serious
a question as an anthracite strike. and he does
not believe that majority of the mine workers
want strike If their individual opinions are
To settle the question at this time. he says, no
strike will occur The demands Of the miners
are looked on as absurd. He continues:
am surprised that the operators have not
demands for uniform wages for 146 different
classes of labor. I have asked myself often
what they mean by presenting such an absurd
lot of details. It shows plainly as Mitchell ad-
mitted before the arbitration commission that
he does not know the anthracite region. 1t also
shows that he cannot manage the anthracite
men who are, indeed, difficult lot to control.
The demands were compiled by men who know
the region but the trouble is that these men do
not know all the fields the conditions that
prevail in them. The mems organizers are
miners. or have been. and they are in touch with
the men but the latter do not want the same
things or they want them In a different way.
He was not speaking of the eight-hour day. he
said which he personally was In favor of.
Mitchell had promised it to the men and would
do his utmost to get it.