The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-04-07
81 UAT||0N' in
COAL FIELDS
|SUNCHANGEO
Sub Committees Representing
Anthracite Operators and
Miners Have Short Session
At New York and Adjourn
Without Agreement.

Each Interest Fails to Make
Concessions, But Another
Meeting Will Be Held Thurs
day-Men Remain Idle In
Eastern Pennsylvania.
NEW FORK, April s-~The sub COM
mittee representing the anthracite opera
tors and the mine workers Of eastern
Pennsylvania, held their first joint meet
ing here today and after nearly three
hours session, adjourned until Thursday
afternoon without coming to an agree
cleut. Each interest has refused to make
the slightest concessions, and the whole
question apparently is as far from solu-
ton as ever. In the meantime the tie
up cf the anthracite industry will endure.
Notwithstanding the fruitless session and
the apparently hopeless deadlock, rumors
are still current that a way will be
found that will enable the operators and
miners to settle their differences. The
scale committee was in session less than
an hour. The sub committee which had
been in conference with the operators
made it's report and President Mitchell
read the following letter from Governor
Pennypacker, Of Pennsylvania:
1.-THE commonwealth Of Pennsylvania
expects that every reasonable effort Will
be made by the parties interested to ad-
just the differences between coal opera
tors and coal miners and to avert the
strike which is threatened"
Mr.. Mitchell stated that he had &C
knowledged the letter and had notified
Governor Pennypacker that he would
TO ito n
mittee.
Operators Make Statement.
After the conference the following state
ment was given out by the operators:
1.-THE conference began at noon with
President E. B. Thomas, of the Lehigh
Valley company, in the chair. Mr..
Mitchell made a long speech, detailing
why, in his judgement, the original de-
nands Of the miners ought to be grant
3D. He was followed by Mr.. Nichols,
president of the Lackawanna-Wyomin
district of the miners union, who sup
ported Mr.. Mitchelps argument. There
were other speeches by the representa-
tives of the miners. In fact, that side
did nearly all the talking.
"There was no disposition on either
side to recede from its original position
or to accept any modification of the orr
ginal demands. Mr.. Mitchells attitude
indicated that the counter proposition
made by the operators for renewal OF
the working agreement drafted by the
anthracite strike commission is not &C
ceptable to the miners.
ION motion of Mr.. Mitchell, the confer
ence adjourned until Thursday.
Situation Remains Unchanged.
'"The entire situation remains the same
as before the meeting. The suspension
of work in the anthracite mines will con-
tinue pending the negotiations. Each
member Of the operators committee, but
one of them, would respond, and the
members of the miners committee, in
GLIDING President Mitchell, resolutely
refused to talk. The miners president
also refused to express an opinion as to
whether the situation was hopeful or
discouraging from his view point.
There was a full attendance Of the
sub committees which are made up as
follows:
Opera tors: George F. Baer, president
Of the Reading company, chairman; w.
H. Tuesdale, president, Delaware, Lack
wanna & Western railroad; E. B. Thorn
as, president of the Lehigh Valley rail-
road; Morris Williams, president of the
Pennsylvania railroads mining COM
panies; David Wilcox, president Of the
Delaware & Hudson company; J. B.
Kerr, V1ce-pTeSluelI anu SeHel oil COuhoo1
Of the New York, Ontario & Western
railroad, and J. L. Lake, representing
Individual operators.
Miners: John Mitchell, chairman; T.
D. Nichols, president, and j. P. Demp-
sey, secretary of district No. /; w. H
Dettrey, president, and ]. P. Gallagher,
secretary, of district No. 7, and John
Fahy, president, and George Harlem,
secretary of district No. g.
The Shamokin scale committee, which
numbers SO men, and which was appoint
ed last December, held a session tonight
at the Ashland house, as planned at In
dianapolis last week. The meeting was
behind closed doors, but it is understood
that the committee went over the situa-
ton discussing further action. The COM
mittee was empowered by the Shamok1r
convention to endeavor to make an agree
ment with the operators subject to the
ratification of another convention.
Reports received from the anthracite
fields during the day, according to the
| labor leaders were satisfactory to them
There were no breaks reported and mona
~ expected.
Mr.. Mitchell in discussing the situation
in the bituminous fields said he had re-
| ceived large number of kilograms from
the soft coal fields which satisfied him
that affairs in those regions are work
ing themselves out just as he had anti
cipated. Thousands of men, he said, re-
turned to work today under the scale
Of 1908, which gives them an increase o.
5.55 per cent over the wages received dur
! ing the last two years.
PHILADELPHIA, April 3.-1nform
alton regarding the conference In New
| York between the operators and min
ers was eagerly sought today by tn
| idle workmen in the hard coal region
! Definite results were not expected ant
there was no disappointment when l
was learned that the conference hat
adjourned until Thursday.
| The situation is practically un
changed. In Shamokin the Enterpris
| colliery, owned by w. L. Connel & Co.
/ was operated short handed by non
ion men. In Scranton, the Oxford Col
liery, small non-union operation an
twenty washeries were worked. Asid
from these plants there were no at
tempts to operate.
Reports from Scranton are to the eff
feet that the Delaware & Hudson an
the Erie companies are making pre-
partitions to resume as soon as posi-
l o,,A 80 Ina, epnI