Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-11
CONF FERENCE FAILED
OPERATORS COUNTER PROPOSAL
REFUSED BY MINERS.

As reported briefly in The Star yesterday
/ afternoon, the anthracite operators, at their
| conference with the mine workers in New
York, declined the proposition to have the
Cancellation board arbitrate all grievances
| submitted by the wage workers, and made
a counter proposal that the commission APP
pointed by President Roosevelt in 1902 be
requested to decide whether any changes In
| conditions in the hard-coal regions have oc-
| CURED which require that the award of
the commission should be modified.
| The mine owners limit the inquiry to two
! grievances, wages and a method for the
| adjustment Of complaints. The miners have
| taken the proposal under consideration and
may give the operators an answer Thurs
day, when another conference between the
subcommittee of the two parties will be
| held. In the meantime the miners commit
| tee Of thtrty-six will hold sessions and
agree on a reply, and the operators will re-
main idle awaiting Developments.
In connection with yesterdays confer
ence, George F. Bear. chairman of the
| mine owners subcommittee, made public a
| letter sent to the committee by the inde-
pendent operators, in which they give their
views on the situation and express their
firm conviction that any agreement to ar
bitrate with the United Mine Workers will
be unjustifiable surrender to anarchy
and mob violence" The letter came as a
great surprise to the miners and did not
tend to bring the eontendng parties closer
together.
conferees Far Apart.
Notwithstanding the fact that both par
ties to the controversy now committed
to arbitration, they still far apart but
confidence is expressed on all sides that
| a peaceful settlement will be brought about
There is every indication that the counter
arbitration plan will not be accepted by the
miners as presented, although they view
with favor the operators selection of the
anthracite commission. The old tribunal
will be accepted by President Mitchell If
he>can induce the coal companies to widen
the scope of the submission to be made.
The TNoposal Of the operators made pub
lie yesterday follows:
THE members of the anthracite strike
commission, or such of them may be
able and willing to act mot less than a
majority of the whole NUMBER shall be
requested to decide whether any changes
in the conditions of the anthracite indus
try have occurred since the award of the
anthracite coal strike commission which
require that the award should be modified
as to the following subjects; and il So
what the modification shall be:
I'd AS to wages or rates of payment of
| the employees either by way of increase or
reduction
"(2) AS to adjustment of complaints
through the Cancellation board or other
wise.
Any party so desiring shall present his
claim in writing to the commission stat
ing the Same in detail
Work shall be resumed at once The
award shall be effective from April 1, 1906
and the Present award of the commission
with any modification thus made shall
continue in effect until March 81 1900"
Might Reduce Wages.
After the proposal had been read Presi-
dent Mitchell asked whether, under the plan
the anthracite operators would have the
privilege of asking the commission to reduce
present wages, and he was informed by
one Of the coal presidents that they had
In reply to another question he was told
that If the operators plan is accepted the
| first offer of the coal companies to renew
and continue for three years the award of
the strike commission would collapse
The members of the commission are:
Judge George Gray, United States Circuit
Ccurt, Wilmington, Del. Col. Carroll d.
Wright, former United States commissioner
of labor and now president of Clark Col
lege, Worcester, Mass. Brig. Gen. John NJ
Wilson, retired, L. S. A. Washington, D.
c Bishop John L. Spalding, Peoria. Ill. !;
Edgar E. Clark Cedar Rapids, Iowa, grand
chief of the Order of Railway Conductors
Thos. H. Watkins, Scranton, Pa, formerly
an anthracite coal operator, but now a
large producer of soft coal in central Penn
tician, Washington.
President Mitchell did not know that the
independent operators had sent communi-
cation to the president of the coal carrying
railroads opposing arbitration. He first
learned 1t after returning to his headquar
tiers at the Ashland House, and when
copy of the letter was shown him he read
1t with keen interest He would not COM
nient on 1t at this time, but 1t is believed
that he will not let the communication go
unnoticed.
Independent Operators Letter.
This letter expressed the conviction of
the independent operators that any agree
ment to arbitrate with the United Mine
Workers would be an unjustifiable surren-
der to anarchy and mob violence. The let
ter, after telling of the fearful events of
the strike of 1902 and predicting that the
acts of violence will be repeated or exceed
ed if the operators refuse to yield, said:
IF this be a fair sample of republican
form of government, all good citizens may
well pray for despotism.
1--WE contend that II would be better that
our mines shall lie idle for years than that
we shall accede to the ELECTROMAGNETIC
demands or an organization tnat lacks
either the wish or the ability to restrain
its members from acts of violence that
would disgrace the much-despised Russia
There is another important question that
may well be settled now as hereafter,
winch Is. Has our government ilSeil tilo
power and the disposition to protect life
and property? They never forget to collect
enormous taxes from anthracite properties.
Let us demand from them the protection
that is our due, and see If we receive 1t,
.If consumers Naturally. perhaps, think
ing only Of their own comfort and convent
ence) are so indifferent to the demands OF
law and order as to compel us to abandon a
contest for right and decent government
that we are ready, If necessary, TO under
take. they should pay the cost OF the sur
render that they compel.
This letter is signed for the Anthracite
Coal Operators Association by H III. Ash
ley. president, and H. w. Kingsbury, sec
rotary
GOV. WINTHROP HEARD.