The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-03-21
The Price 81 Coal to the Public.

Mr.. AIitchelI's letter to the chairman
OF the anthracite mine operators com
mittee is frank and straightforward
declaration Of the truth. Mr.. Mitchell
says that neither the mine operators nor
the Mine Workers Union can afford to
break OF negotiations in the abrupt
fashion which characterized MIR. Baef's
reply to the propositions Of the mine
workers. In his attempt to reopen the
negotiations, Mr.. Mitchell viii have the
support OF the public. The fact that the
mine workers announce that they will
not continue the present agreement
should lead the operators to act very
carefully. There is another party to
this controversy. II IL the great public.
The public may, and probably will be
the chief sufferer by strike OF the
coal miners, but 1t will find remedy
some day, either in taking possession OF
thep riyate property OF the coal opera
tors for the public good, or in hemming
the corporations about with such re-
strictions that the men who are SO ar
rorant now will be content with what
| ia left to them The attitude of men
like MIR. Baer is that of being ready TO
fool all the people all Of the time, IN
spite Of the fact that this has never
been done.
| The only reasonable thing fer the
operators TO do, in this present crisis, Is
/ to get together with the miners and at
/ least try to find sorle basis OF agree
ment passing over articles on which
there is an utter difference Of opinion
until such as may afford common
ground have been considered. There
should be something OF the method fol
lowed in the peace negotiations at Ports
mouth. Under these circumstances i
might be possible for the conflicting in
[terests to reach an agreement. Public
sympathy would inevitably lean towart
that organization which was most wilt
ing To make concessions and submit diff
ferences to arbitration. And neither
side can afford to neglect the public IN
terest in this matter.
The operators have put themselves o.
record as opposing any increase IN TN
wages of the miners because it woul'
increase the price Of coal To the public
If the operators really are sincere, the.
know that to preeipitate strike woul'
increase the price Of coal much NOR
than would any concession TO be mad
10 the miners in tho way Of wages We
the hollowness Of this claim is seen i
the fact that the coal operators now hay
ON Ind something like three months
winter supply of coal, which would b
sold at higher prices than ordinarily pre-
vail in winter, and this would be FOL
lowed by another increase TO the famin
prices Of three years ago. For the MN
operators OF the country, II they haF
/ resolved upon strike, must carry the
strike to the bitter end, exhausting I'll
resources of the miners, crippling the
: own railroads and properties, eausin
universal suffering and business distre'
and even many deaths, before they ca
!. crush out the lnrgest and strongest 81
gle labor organizations in the world.
81 In view Of these conditions and cireun
stances, the odium Of bringing abo'
the strike must rest upon the operate
in case they refuse to entire into fu
Their negotiations with Mr.. Miteherr a.
Ms committee. Boston TRANSCRIPT.