The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-03
Dramatic Scene Marks Closing Hours of the Joint CoRVSR-
 tiOn at Indianapolis
REBUKE IS ADMINISTERED
 10 OLD PATRICK DOLAN
President of United States and Civic Federation the Only Two Agencies That Can Now Bring the
 Comhatants Together.

Indianapolis, February 2.-One of the most dramatic scenes ever witnessed ill national convention of the United Mine Workers of America was the final ad- journment of that body this afternoon after the dissolution of the joint confer enee of operators and miners of the cen tral and southwestern districts, and after the national convention had administered & singing rebuke to one of the oldest officers of the convention for transgress- ing one of the federal laws of unionism in voting contrary to his instructions to stand for an increase of wages.
 When the voices of the miners min gled in the singing of "America' had hushed an oppressive silence fell upon the assembled delegates, and President John Mitchell slowly pronounced the words which adjourned the seventeenth annual convention without day, thus dis solving every possible hope of avoiding a gigantic industrial war without the in- tervention of some unexpected concilia- tory move.
 Neither Win Make overtures.
 The apparent determination of both op- orators and miners indicate that neither  ther negotiations. and, as indicated by the speeches of both the radicals and conservatives of both organizations on the floor of the joint conference, unless some influence which is not now foreseen steps into the breach 500,000 men con trolled by the United Mine Workers will walk out of the mines in every section of the country April 1.
 There have been intima tions that two of States and the National Civic Fedora tion-may be appealed to to set in motion negotiations looking to rehabilitation of the joint state agreement, or at least the discussion of some possible means Of bringing the operators and miners to- gether for further negotiations.
 So far, however, there is nothing on which to base an assertion that either the President or the Civic Federation have decided to offer their services
 Means National Suspension
 During an interview this evening Presi- dent Mitchell discussed some of the phases of the situation. In answer to question. he said
 s"Yes, it is true that never in the his tory of this country has strike of such far-reaching effect been threatened, IL means a national suspension Of mining if the strike comes on at the expiration of our mining contracts March Sl, and it includes the anthracite districts.
 According to the figures given out by the national officers of the miners or ganization they expect the strike to bring ont over 9O00O0 men-about 10000 non unjon miners in West Virginia and Penn syvania, with 4500oO union miners.
 Of this number about 10000 will be out in the anthracite districts, 5000 in the Pennsylvania bituminous districts, %'O0O in Ohio, 17,OO0 In Indiana, 5000 in llli- nois. 16OOO in Iowa, 5000 in West V1r- gInia 5000 in Michigan and approximate ly 60 900 in Kansas. Missouri, Texas, ln- dian Territory and Arkansas.
 Blame Rests on Operators.
 aI have said' MT. Mitchell declared, .sthat the responsibility of bringing on such a strike was a grave responsibility for any people. We have been slow to assume any such responsibility and the responsibility rests as any one can see on the operators.
 ''The prosperous condition of the coun- try warrants an increase for the miners. We accepted decrease by our own votes two years ago. when at the time we were convinced that the conditions of the coun- try demanded it. We have ever been ready to stand right and we stand right now.
 When questioned about the cost of the anthracite strike he said that it's cost had been estimated by the anthracite strike commission to be a loss of twenty five million of wages to the miners, $5O,- 100000 of profits to the operators, $$,0O0,- GOO loss in freight rates
 There were other items of loss that raised the total figure much over SlOO,- 000000 for the strike It lasted little over twenty-six weeks
 President Mitchell estimated that four people are dependent on every miner. On this estimate national strike such as is planned will affect over two million peo- pie dependent upon the mining industry for their daily bread
 The dollar assessment would raise ap- proximately s2,500. GOO national treasury funds by April 1. This organization now has in cash in its national district, sub district and local treasurles $26I9lS44 42.
 Try to Settle Question.
 The coal operators and miners of the central competitive and southwest dis tricts met in joint conference today to finally settle the question as to whether an agreement was possible. President Nit chell of the miners, announced that the miners had refused to accept a contnu- ance of the present scale.
 F. L. Robbins of Pittsburg. moved that the present scale be reaffirmed with the same prices and conditions for the year teg, ling April l.
 J MT. Taylor, an Illinois operator moved an amSndment which was the same propo- sition that had been previously offered and rejected. The amendment was lost, the operators and miners voting solidly
 F. l.. Robbins then took the floor. He said he wanted to go on record as 1t seemed the future of the interstate move ment was in peril. MT. Robbins reviewed the difference in the condition of the miners now and when the interstate and joint movement went into effect. You have advanced wages and shorter hours said he. Without argument and in the