Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1906-03-02
THE PRESIDENT
AVERTS STRIKE
tween the Coal Miners and the
Operators.
LETTER TO JOHN MITCHELL
Will Bring About Another Convention
The Operators viii Make Some
Concessions.

New York. March president
| Roosevelt has again interviewed as a
peace maker between the coal miners
and operators. and as the result of a
letter addressed by him to John Mitch
| ell. president of the United Mine Work
ers of America. national convention
| of the United Mine Workers will be
held March Is TO try to reach an agree.
ment with the soft coal operators in
/ the hope of averting the threatened
strike of April 1st, in the bituminous
coal fields.
The presidents letter and the an.
| nouncement that the nationl conven
/ ton would be called were made public
| tonight by Mr.. Mitchell after a long
conference with Francis L. Robbins.
president of the Pittsburg Coal com.
pany. and chairman of the bituminous
/ operators, who came to New York this
morning. Also present at this con
| ference were W. c. Perry, of the
| Southwestern Coal association and B.
F. Bush, representing the soft coal
interests allied with the Gould rail
reads.
| The presidents letter to Mr.. Mitch.
ei. is as follows:
| The Presidents Letter.
| Il note with very great concern the
failure of your late convention on the
JOINT interstate agreement to come 10
basis of settlement of the bitumi.
nous mining scale of wages. You in
this business have enjoyed a great in.
dustrial peace for many years, thanks
to the joint trade agreement that has
resulted in the action of your success.
i've conventions.
"A strike such as is threatened on
April l is a menace to the peace and
general welfare Of the country. urge
you TO make further effort to avoid
snch a calamity.
You and Mr.. Robbins are Joint
ciairmen of the trade agreement com.
mittee of the National Civic fedora
ton, and it seems TO me that this i'm.
poses additional duty upon you both.
and gives an additional reason why
each Of you should join in making a
further effort. Very respectfully
yours,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
The conference did not adjourn un.
til nearly o'clock tonight, when Mr.
Mitchell announced that. after the
, reading of President Roosevelts let
ter, it was agreed both by himself and
the operators that the national con
vention should be called The miners
!. were in session recently at Indianap
Oils. but failed TO reach an agreement
with the operators President Mitch
: eli himself has been quoted as saying
that, so far as he knows there would
certainly be a strike in the bituminous
fields April J.
The negotiations for an agreemen,
between the hard coal workers and the
anthracite operators have been pro
crossing smoothly to all outward ap
pearances.
With the anthracite negotiations
well under way, President Mitchell has
: been devOting most of his time tt
bringing about a settlement of the diff
ferences in the soft coal regions.
Mr.. Mitchell has not announced any
details of today's conference nor die
he say just when the call of the con
vention, which will fix the place o.
meeting, will be sent out March /!
he believes is the earliest date the con
vention can be summoned, and he be
lieves that-if there is to be peace be
; tween the date fixed for the miner!
assembly and April /. when the pres
!. ent agreement with the operators ex
= pires-is sufficient time to bring abou
> the desired results. Mr.. Mitchell
would not indicate what new PROPOSE
= tons would be placed before the min
ers, but significance is attached to hi
o statement that the operators at tc
= days conference agreed that the cor
vention should be called. Concession
may be made on both sides, and Pres
ident Roosevelts interest in the sit,
alton will be held as additional reaso
for bringing about new agreement