Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1906-04-06
MINERS WANT
ARBIT RATION.
Mitchell and His Men Throw a
BOmbSheII at the Coal
Operators.
BISHOP SPEAKS OUT. ARE CONSIDERING IT.

Reply to the Proposition-If Sug-
gcstion is Accepted All Operations
win BE Resumed at Once-RcfusaI
OF Mine Owners Foreshadowed-
Miners Want Judge Gray Chairman
NEW YORK, April G.-Having failed
TO come to an agreement among them
selves, The hard coal miners of Penn
sYlvania, through their representatives.
proposed to the operators that all mat
ters in dispute be referred to Il board
Of arbitration for settlement. the tri-
bunal 10 he composed of the board of
cancellation which was created by the
award OF the anthracite strike commits
sion in 1903. with Judge George Gray
of Delaware, or any person he may ap-
point, as chairman and umpire.
If the operators accept the PROPOSE
ton and a convention of mine workers
approves the plan the 100000 men now
Idle in the anthracite fields will return
TO work at once While ii had been
reported for several days that the min
erS might ask that the differences be
arbitrated. the proposition made TO the
mine owners came 10 them as great
surprise, as they did not believe the
union leaders were ready 10 leave the
controversy TO third party ut this
time.
That the operators will accept the
mi al
generally believed. In fact it is init
mated they may fatty refuse the offer
on the ground that existing conditions
are the result of arbitration. The en-
ployerS have decided to carefully con
slider the miners latest move and prom
Use to give President Mitchell and his
men an answer on Monday, when an
other meeting of the two subcommit-
tees will be held in this city.
President Mitchell threw a bombshell
into the camp of the operators by of
fering to submit all the points in dis
pute to the board of conciliation. which
went ont Of office with the expiration
of the three year agreement on March
81.
Alitchelfs move was entirely uneX-
pected and confoundcd the seven rail
road presidents making up the oper
ators' committee. 1t puts the situation
right up to the operators. Mitchelrs
offer is TO submit the questions in dis
pute to Il committee in which each
side is equally represented. final de-
cisiOn to rest in the hands of a man to
be appointed by Judge Gray, whose
fairness is unquestioned.
III the operators don't agree to this"
remarked one of the union leaders, 1T
will be because they invite strike
And if a strike comes, all that will fol
low will be on the operators, not on us.
We want peace"
The proposition of Mr. Mitchell was
made. as he explained, lin the interests
of peace" He set forth that the miners
have real grievances and the only fair
way 10 settle them is to take testimony
on both sides. weigh it and leave the
decision to Il disinterested person in
case the representatives of the dispu-
tants fail to agree.
The conference of the subcommittee
lasted less tnan an hour, and at its con-
clusion the operators held meeting
to informally discuss the miners Of
fer Later they issued the following
statement:
1t should be observed that in the
astutely drawn proposition of Mr..
Mitchell and his committee the oper-
ators are asked TO submit to arbitra-
ton the question of the closed shop
and the check off.
1T should also be observed that Mr..
Mitchelrs committee abandons the pro-
posal for one year agreement and
suggests an arbitration, the term of
which would expire on April !, 1905
presidential yeal%-thus affording
new opportunity to make this great in
dustry the football of politics. The op-
orators had already offered. it will be
remembered. TO extend the findings Of
the coal commission until April 1,
1909"