Milford chronicle., 1906-02-16
MUST STRIKE
OR BACK DOWN
Mine Operators viii Refuse Demands
Of the Men.
SCALE COMMITTEE AT WORK

New York, Feb. 1.-THE anthracite
mine operators, including the presi-
dents of the coal carrying railroads and
several Independent operators, came to
q general agreement as to the policy
they will pursue at the conference to
pc held on Thursday between them
selves on the one hand and the presi-
dent and representatives Of the United
Mine Workers on the other. All the
presidents of the anthracite roads and
a number of Independent operators are
expected to be present and about Is Of
the miners committee, including Presi-
dent Mitchell. It is expected that the
miners committee will put forward
their demands at the first meeting. The
intention of the operators is then to
adjourn the meeting in order to take
time to consider their reply.
The presidents of the coal carrying
roads are unwilling to discuss for pub
iication the questions at issue prior to
their meeting with Mr.. Mitchell and
his associates, but their position, elicit
ed by careful canvass, is, as one presi-
dent put it, such that the miners will
have to strike or back down"
1--WE do not propose" he said 'to
accede to their demands in any way,
and do not see what else they can do
but strike. They are coming into this
conference to demand an eight-hour
day and recognition of the union, be-
sides other things. It was clearly shown
in the report of the anthracite commits
sion in 1902 that the miners do not
work eight hours a day, and the claim
is only a disguised demand for higher |
rate Of wages per hour, as was ex-
planned in Mr.. Willcox's recent letter
to Mr. Mitchell. The anthracite COM
mission also decided that it was the
right of the operators to employ either
union or nOn-union miners without dis
elimination. These are the two main |
points Of the demand the miners COM
mlttee will make, and both have been
already decided by an eminent commits
sion and have been adhered to rigor-
Ously. The miners have no complaint
to make, simply another demand,
which," said the operator, they have
a perfect right to do"
''But," he continued, "I wish the
leaders would understand that these
demands will not be met. We shall
couch our refusal to meet them in the
most courteous and diplomatic terms,
and give them every opportunity to
back down gracefully. It is our sincere
hope that there will be no rupture We
are willing to continue under the pres
ent arrangement, whereby the miners
are receiving today the high-water
mark in wages"
The scale committee of the anthra-
cite mine workers, numbering Sc men,
held its first meeting since coming to
New York. at which it took up the
demands to be presented to the oper-
ators at the conference on Thursday.
President Mitchell and the other mem
bers Of the committee remain silent as
to the exact nature Of the demands to
be made. It is understood, however,
that the miners will put up a strong
fight for change in the methods of the
board of Cancellation. The mine work.
ers are dissatisfied with the present
method Of settling difficulties, and say
there will always be friction until a
better method of settling disputes is
found There is a growing belief that if
the operators will be liberal in grant
Ing concessions to the miners the de-
mand for the recognition Of the union
may not be pressed.