The San Francisco call., 1906-04-05
Anthracite Miners Said to
Have Decided to Modify
4 .' Their Demands and Early
greement. Is Expected
OPERATORS TOO MAY
MAKE CONCESSIONS
Soft Coal Situation Also Is
Relieved and Men in Pitts
burg District Are Like
lE to Return to Work

NEW YORK, April Alt was the gen.
eral belief tonight of those who are close
ly watching the situation about the an
thracite miners headquarters in this city
that the miners have definitely decided to
modify their demands and will present
them TO the operators probably tomorrow
Some OF the members of the committee
privately admitted before coming to New
York for the present negotiations that
the original demands were greater than
the miners really expected to get. and
that the leaders could afford to trim
them down and still leave the mine
workers enough to be satisfied.
1T is believed that If the operators will
meet the men. half way on some of the
demands they have made, such as the
reconstruction of the conciliation board,
an eight hour day and an increase in pay
for some classes of labor, the miners
would seriously consider the proposition
of renewing the conciliation, boards s
award for more than one year. The
miners have asserted that they would
not bind themselves for an agreement for
three years. Preparations for another
meeting tomorrow between the ssub-com-
mittee representing the anthracite miners
and operators kept the Shamokin scale
committee of miners busy today. Two
long sessions were held, but beyond the
h0lAoWiS5 otdlSIIleIl UyftL fSct1S4tt AA@AtNA-
ell, no information was given out:
The committee appointed by the Shamokin
conversion met at the Ashland House today
and had under consideration the communica
tion from the Goyerror of Pennsylvania and
the oKer OF the atlfriracite coal operators TO
renew and cortltS,s for three years the award
of the Anthraeits Goal Strike Commission. 1t
was decided thate matter OF S furthsr nsg4
miners be referred 70 the subcommittee aps-
pointed blythe general committee, and that
further masting of the general COMMITTEES be
held tomorrow at 8 "a. m. The Subcommittee
is now in session
AL the district leaders received reports
from the anthracite fields during the
day and evening and notwithstanding
reports that more coal Was mined today
than yesterday or Monday they de-
clarcd the situation was entirely salts
factory to them.
- MITCHELL IN BOTH FIELDS.
President NIitchen is deyoting almost
as much time to th@ situation in the
biturlinous fields as he@is to the hard
coal regions. He is hourly in receipt
of kilograms from his lieutenants and
from coal operators in the West.
When President Mitchell was informed
that President Roosevelt had declined
to interfere with the soft coal troubles
he showed great interest and inquired
If the text of the Presidents conmuni-
cation had been made public. He re-
fused to comment on the Presidents
action, but he plainly showed he was
much gratided at the stand the Presi-
dent has taken
PHILADELPHIA, April 4.--In antici-
patton that satisfactory arrangement
will be made by the operators and min
ers' representatives when they again
meet infconference today in New York,
hope prevails Throughout the anthracite
region. Unlike the years 1890 and 19O2,
when both strikes were preceded by
pronounced agitation. the mine work
ers appear to believe that when the
conferees finish their deliberations they
will have adopted "a plan which, II it
does not comply with all the demands
of the mine workers, will at least grant
concessions resulting in a resumption or
mining operations
During the day President Baer held
several conferences with officials or the
coal company. He declined to discuss
the New York conference.
SOFT COAL SITUATION.
PITTSBURG. Pa. April 4.-Notwith-
standing the fact that the Pittsburg
Coal Company has signed the scale de-
nanded by the miners and the an
nouncement that the men would return
to work at once, not more than half or
that coilfpanys operations are under
way This. it was said tonight, is due
to conflicting orders that had been sent
out BY tho eon.esting officers OF the To-
cal district, in which there has been a
factional fight. as<s
1t was the general sentiment tonight
that between the order sent out by the
LEGAL district Yesterday ordering men to
return to work and the statement issued
by Dolan the men in the Pittsburg dis
@.t<. q