The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-04-13
STILL FAR APART
MINERS AND OPERATORS CANNOT
 REACH AGREEMENT.
Hope Yet Held out For Peaceful Solu- ton of the Controversy, But
 Limit of Negotiations seem- sss,s ingly fs Near.

New York. April 12.--TheI anthracite mine workers today offered the mine owners the choice of two proposals--a resubmission of the miners original de- mands with two amendments or to place the whole controversy before the strike commission. The employers made an informal reply in which they intimated that they are not likely to accept either offer. They will make an official answer by letter and there will be no further meetings until some- thing develops.
 While there is still hope that a peaceful solutioIS will be found. the contending parties appear to have reached almost the limit of negotia- tions, If the operators should decline to entertain either of the propositions submitted by the miners today, 1t is probable a convention of miners will be called at which the delegates will declare that a strike exists.
 In the first amendment to the orig final demands. President Mitchell drops the request for the recognition of the union and provides that the proposed agreement be made between the oper- ators and the anthracite mine workers. The other amendment provides that only employees who are willing shall be assessed a certain sum each month to defray the expenses of carrying out the proposed check off agreement.
 If the operators will not accept this the miners propose that 1t and the op- orators first proposition, which pro vides for a renewal for three years of the award of the anthracite strike com mission. be referred to the strike com mission. Thus the miners drop their second offer which provided for arbi- tration by the conciliation board and ignore the operators second proposition with the exception of the strike conn mission feature which they accept. After President Mitchell as chairman of the miners sub-commission had de- livered the answer of the miners at todays' meeting the operators withdrew and discussed the communication for about ten minutes. Upon their return President Baer expressed regret that the offer of the operators had not been accepted
 Then an informal talk followed dur ing which it was agreed that if a further meeting of the joint commit tee was desired by the miners, ar engagements for 1t could be made by Presidents Baer and Mitchell. After the conference had adjourned, none of the participants would discuss the de- velopments.
 President Mitchell conrfimed the in depreciation that the first amendment of his original demands eliminates the request for the recognition of his union. Technically Mir. Mitchell and his colleagues are not appearing be- fore the operators as officers of the United Mine Workers, but as represen- tatives of the anthracite mine work CTS. This was also their status before the strike commission In 1902-3.
 It is said the operators will wait un- til after Tuesday. when the interna- tional executive board of the miners union meets at Indianapolis before mailing a reply. in order to learn what action the board will take with regard to the arbitration proposition made by the bituminous operators of Ohio. Pres ident Mitchell will close headquarters here probably Saturday and go direct to Indianapolis,