The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1906-04-06

Mine Workers Have Obeyed
the Suspension Order
MEETING AT NEW YORK

garding the "ExtraordinarS'
Action of Employees Retail
Coal Dealers Not Acting Fairly
New York, April 3.-The day of the
second meeting of the committees rep
resenting the anthracite mine workers
and their employers finds the situation
so far as the hard coal fields are con
cerned, unchanged from that disclosed
in the communications that have passed
between the contending forces aud
which have been made public.
Neither miner nor operator will ven
ture prediction as to the outcome, as
neither party is aware of what the next
move of the other will be. B0th sides
are hopeful. however, and there is a
feeling among those vitality interested
in the struggle that some way out Of
the present difficulty will be found
This feeling is based on the fact that
each side has only played its first card
and that the real negotiations have not
yet begun.
President Mitchell arrived here last
night from indianapolis. The other
members of the Shamokin scale com
mttee, to which has been referred the
matter of settlement with the mine
owners. have also arrived. None of
the district leaders will be quoted as to
the situation as shown by the first days
suspension, but they all say privately
that the utmost harmony prevails in
the coal region and that rumors that
thousands of men would not obey the
suspension order have proved ground
less.
Today's meeting between the sub
committee of the miners and the opera
tors is expected to be of short duration.
1t is believed that nothing will be def
nitely agreed upon. The program, as
believed to be tentatively outlined by
the operators, is to renew the counter
proposition made to the miners early
in March-that is, the continuation for
another term of three years of the
award of the anthracite strike commits
sion. The operators, it is understood,
will not make any extended argument,
Out Will content lueIlSelN6S Will GALL
ing attention to the reasons they set
forth in their reply to the miners gen
eral demands. The employers, how
ever, expect the union leaders to renew
their original demands.
The conciliatory spirit shown in the
first meeting of the two committees is
not expected to obtain today. The OPP
orators are indignant over the action
of the miners union in forcing a sus-
pension of operations, and it is not I'M
likely that the miners will be told that |
their action was extraordinary" as
President Baer has already told Mitch |
ell by telegram. The district leaders |
of the mine workers, in defending their |
course, say the action of the Shamokin
scale committee was justified, that no
agreement or contract between the op
orators and the men existed after mid
night Saturday.
The presidents Of the anthracite coal.
carrying roads have devoted consider
able attention to the action of retail
coal dealers in several cities in raising
the price of domestic sizes of coal to the
consumers. They have received re-
ports that many retailers have adj
vanced prices anywhere from % cents
to 81 ton. The operators some days
ago warned the dealers that if they
continued the practice their supply of
coal will be cut off and fuel will be
given to only those dealers who rigidly
maintain the regular prices. The prac-
tice of advancing prices, however, be-
came so widespread that the operators
deemed it necessary to issue a state
ment to the public showing their posi-
ton.
Reports received from the bituminous
fields show that many of the leading
coal companies have signed the 1903
scale, which gives the men an advance
of 800 cents over the wages they re-
ceived during the last two years. The
number of miners who received the in
crease is estimated at nearly 100000
As thousands of soft coal workers
laid off to celebrate the Inauguration
of the eight-hour day, which is annual
ly observed in the bituminous regions,
the number of men who are on strike
or have suspended work pending nego-
tiations will not be definitely known
until tomorrow.
In the anthracite regions there was
an almost total suspension of mining,
in obedience to the instructions issued
by the ShamOkin scale committee
No disorder Of any consequence was
reported from any section of the an
thracite or bituminOus fields.
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Attack on Russian Priest