The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1906-04-13
Former Grant Latter the Choice
of Two Proposals.
The Operators Make Informal Reply
Intimating That They viii Not
Accept Either.
A STRIKE MAY YET FOLLOW

New York, April 13.-At a meet
ing of the subcommittee of the an
thracite mine workers and operators
yesterday the employees offered the
mine owners a choice of two propo-
sitions in their endeavor to come to
an amicable agreement and the en-
ployers made an informal reply in
winch they intimated that they did
not like to accept either offer. The
operators Will make an official ans
wer to the miners latest proposition
by letter and there will be no fur
Their meetings until something devel-
ops. While there is still hope that a
peaceful solution can be found. the
meeting today did not bring the con-
tending parties closer together: in
TACT they appear almost to have reach
ed the limit of the negotiations. If
the operators should decline to enter
tain either proposition submitted by
the miners 1t is probable a conven-
ton of miners will be called at which
the delegates will declare a strike.
Briefly stated, the offer made by
Mitchell was a resubmission of the
miners original demands with two
amendments and in case they are not
accepted, he proposed that the whole
controversy will be placed before
strike commission.
In one of the amendments to the
original demands, Mitchell drops the
request for a recognition of the I'M
ion and provides that the proposed
agreement be made between the OPP
orators and anthracite workers in
stead of the. The other amendment
provides that only employees who are
willing shall be assessed a certain
sum each month to defray the expen-
ses of carrying out the proposed
check-off agreement instead of un-
ion and non-union men being called
upon to contribute. II the operators
do not accept the original demands
as amended, the miners propose that
(the original demands as amended)
and the operators first proposition,
which provides for the renewal for
three years of the award on the an
thracite strike commission, be re-
ferred for arbitration to a strike COM
mission. Thus the miners drop their
second offer which provided for ar
bitration by a Cancellation board and
ignore the operators second PROPOSE
ton with the exception of the strike
feature, which they accept.
After Mitchell, as chairman of the
miners subcommittee had finished
reading the answer. the operators
withdrew and discussed the commu-
nication for about ten minutes. Up
on their return, President Baer, as
chairman of the operators commit
tee. made their reply declining the
miners proposition.
An informal talk followed, during
which It was agreed that any meet
ing of the joint commission that was
desired by the miners, arrangement
for 1t could be made by Baer and
Mitchell, after the meeting Mitchell
confirmed the Interpretation that the
first amendment to his original de-
mand eliminated the request for rec
ognition of his union. Technically.
Mitchell and his colleagues are not
appearing before the operators as
officers of the United Mine Workers
of America, but as representatives
of the anthracite mine workers. This
was also their status before the
strike commission in 1902 and 1908.
The general scale committee of the
miners held brief session this al
ternoon and after adjournment left
for home to await development.