The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1906-03-03
TO AVERT STRIKE
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT APPEALS
TO JOHN MITCHELL.
MINERS WILL MEET AGAIN
Convention Will be Held March 18th
Mitchell Confers With Leading
Coal Operators.

Coal Operators.
New York.-Presiden Roosevelt has
again interviewed as a peacemaker be-
tween the coal miners and operators,
and as the result OF a letter ad
dressed by him to John Mitchell, presi
dent of the United Mine Workers OF
America, a national convention OF tha
united miners will be held at Indian
apolis March 18th to try to reach an
agreement with the soft coal opera
tors, in the hope OF averting the threat
ened strike of April lst in the btu
minous fields.
The Presidents letter and the an
nouncement that the national conven
ton would be called were made pub
lie Monday by Mr.. Mitchell after q
long conference with Francis l.. Rob
bins, president of the Pittsburg Coal
Company, and chairman of the btu
minous operators.
Also present at this conference were
w. c. Perry of the Southwestern Coal
Association. and B. F. Bush, represent
ing the soft coal interests allied with
the Gould railroads. The President s
letter to Mr.. Mitchell follows:
Il note with very great concern the
failure of your late convention on the
JolhI lHitl W toluC u
basis of settlement of the btumin
GUS mining scale of wages. You III
this business have enjoyed IA great in.
dustrial peace for many years, thanks
to the joint trade agreement that hae
resulted in the action OF your success
sive conventions.
"A strike such as Is threatened on
April 1st is a menace to the peace and
general welfare of the country. ! urge
you to make a further effort TO avoid
such a calamity.
You and Mr.. Robbins are joint
chairmen of the trade agreement com.
mittee of the National Civic Fedora
ton, and it seems TO me that this i'm.
poses additional duty upon you both
| and gives an additional reason why
each of you should join in making a
further effort. Very respectfnllv.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
/ The conference did not adjourn until
| nearly 8 o'clock at eight, when Mr.,
Mitchell announced that after III,
reading of President Roosevelt's letter
1t was agreed both by himself and tn :
operators that the national convention
| should be called. The miners were in
| session recently at Indianapolis. but
failed to reach an agreement with the
! operators President Mitchell himself
| has been quoted as saying that so far
as he knew there would certainly be {
strike in the bituminous 6elda
| April LIST.
With the anthracite negotiations
| we'll under way President Mitchell has
been devoting most of his time to
| bringing about settlement of the diff
| ferences in the soft coal regions.
Mr.. Mitchell has not announced any
| details of the conference. March 18th
he believes is the earliest date the con
| vention can be summoned, and he be
| lieyes that il there is to be peace the
| two weeks between the date fixed for
| the miners assembly and April 1st
| when the present agreement with the
operators expires, is sufficient time to
bring about the desired result.
Concessions on botn sides may be
] offered and President Roosevelt's in.
| terest in the situation will be held az
an additional reason for bringing
about a new agreement.