New-York tribune., 1906-04-14
ARBITRATION STILL LIKELY.

Although negotiations between the operators
and miners in the hard coal field have been
halted by the formal rejection of President
MitcheIls revised arbitration programme,
peaceful agreement is still within reach. Ihe
two sides are nearer together than they seem
10 be. and The differences as yet unadJusted,
though they may warrant some further ma
no1uvring for position. do not warrant a dead
lock, much less rupture. If the two contest
ants have been sincere III their dealings so
far, no breach is imminent. For each Will find
ii difficult, after conceding The desirabilty of
mediation and cOncurring in choice Of media
tors. 10 justify n wreckage Of the whole scheme
through technical disagreements to the form
in which the questions at issue are to be pre-
sented 10 the arbitration tribunal Some allow
ance has 10 be made, of course for the cir
cumlocutionE and illnesses of diplomacy. Mr..
Mitchell and the coal roa0 presidents are play
ing a game &c crowded galleries. and neither
side wants to quit without the appearance of
having won at least partia, victory. Personal
prestige as well as economic advantage is at
stake. Yet with due weight given TO the de-
sire of each group of neg0tators TO acquit
themselves with credit. it is hard 10 reach any
other conclusion than that their differences can
be and will be compromised This conclusion,
we are glad 10 see. is accepted by the chief
representative of the mine owners on the per-
manent Board of Cancellation, established under
the terms of the award of 1908 Mr.. William
L. ConneII. of Scranton. Mr. COnnell. who acts
as president of the cOncation board. is thus
quoted in a Scranton dispatch. dated Thursday,
10 THE Philadelphia Press:
In my opinion there will be no strike. COM
promise will be effected which Will leave both
parties in what they consider a position which
does not humiliate them before the public. The
agreement will be made for three years. as be-
fore.
We have said repeatedly that when the two
sides agreed 10 submit their present dispute to
the federal arbitration board of 1902-'03, or TO
any board controlled by its opinions and find
ingS the problem of arbitration was virtually
solved. President Baer and the other heads of
the coal roads have expressed their unwilling
ness TO resubmit 10 mediation principles settled
by the 1903 award In that they were techni-
cally justified. But such a resubmisSiOn can be
only nominal in effect now that the miners
have acquiesced the reconvocatiOn of the
federal board. Disputes over the scope of the
arbitration can have little significance If the
board of 1920 is merely to meet again and
review IFS work. for that board definitely re-
jected the closed shop theory and the deriva-
tive "check off" theory by which the opera
tors would become the agents of A labor union
for the collection of dues.
Practically. il is immatera whether these
principles reconsidered or not Yet to es-
cape technicalities and avoid offence it might
he advisable for both sides 10 drop details and
simply ask the federal board of 1902-'03 TO re-
convene. examine general conditions in the coal
industry and modify Its former award if any
good cause for modification shall be found If
the board could safely be trusted with full
jurisdiction three years ago. it can safely be
trusted with equal authority now Neither con-
testant can lose anything in prestige by CON
senting TO repeat an arbitration which both in
oY,l
ton. If both sides really desire peace. the way
to an effective compromise is plain.