The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-04-06
MINERS PROPOSE
TO ARBITRATE
Operators Considering the Matter,
but the Indications Are That
They Will Refuse.
WILL ANSWER ON MONDAY
TEXT OF PROPOSAL SUBMITTED
BY MITCHELL.

New York, April 5.-Having failed to
come to an agreement among them
selves, the hard coal miners of Penn
syivania through their representatives
today proposed to the operators that
all matters in dispute be referred to a
board of arbitration for settlement, the
tribunal to be composed of the board
of Cancellation which was created by
the award of the anthracite strike COM
mission in 1903, with Judge George
Gray Of Delaware, or any person he
may appoint, as chairman and umpire.
If the operators accept the proposition
and a convention of mine workers ap-
proves the plan, the 10000 men now
idle in the anthracite fields will return
TO work at once. While it had been re-
ported for several days that the miners
might ask that the differences be arbi-
trated, the proposition made to the
mine owners today came to them as a
great surprise, as they did not believe
the union leaders were ready to leave
the controversy TO a third party at this
time.
Operators May Refuse.
That the operators Will accept the
miners proposal as submitted is not
generally believed; in fact, 1t Is init
mated that they may fatty refuse the
offer, on the ground that existing con-
ditiOns are the result of arbitration.
The employers have decided to con-
slider the miners latest move and
promise to give President Mitchell and
his men an answer on Monday when
another meeting of the two sub-com-
mittees will be held in this city.
The text of the arbitration proposal
as submitted to the operators is as
follows:
Offer of the Miners.
''The committee appointed by the
-
representing the employees of the var
iOus companies operating the mines,
washeries and breakers in the anthra-
cite coal region having under consider
alton our proposition to you, dated
Feb. %. together with your committees
proposition of March 9, which was a
continuation of the award Of the an
thracite coal strike commission and a
letter from the governor of Pennsyl-
vania, have decided, in view of the
great public interest involved, aside
from those we represent directly, 1t is
our duty TO make further effort and
even sacrifice of what we believe Just
ly our due in the matter of wages and
conditions of employment in order that
great public calamity may be avoid
ed. Therefore, we propose that. sub
ject to the approval of a convention
of anthrac cite mine workers which
shall be called at the earliest date pos
sible, the difficulties between us as
stated IN our propositions and your
counter propositions be referred for de-
termination and settlement to a board
Of arbitration composed of the present
board of Cancellation provided for in
the award of the anthracite coal strike
commission, with Judge George Gray
or any person he may appoint to act
as chairman and umpire.
To Continue Two Years.
The decision of this tribunal or the
majority of the members there of I'm
so far as ii influences wages, to be eff
fecttve from April l. 1906, and to con-
tinue in force until March 81, 1908, such
decision TO be final, and binding upon
all parties in interest. The employees
of the anthracite mines. washeries and
breakers to resume work Immediately
and to continue work pending the pro-
CeedingS Of said boards.
(Signed) JOHN MITCHELL.
ct D. NICHOLS.
WILLIAM II. DETTREY.
JOHN T. GALLAGHER.
JOHN F'AHY.
GEORGE HARTLEIN.'
The conference Of the sub-commit-
tees lasted less than an hour and at
it's conclusion the operators held a
meeting to discuss informally the min
ers' offer: Later in the day they is
sued the following statement.