The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-05-09
TERMS OFFERED MINERS
lncIuGe1 Limits 10 Arbitration and
a Three-Year Agreement.
COMMISSION OF INVESTIGATION

Operators Submitted IL Counter Proposal
That the Roosevelt Commission Decide
If It's Award Shall he Modified With
Reference to Wages Either by Way OF
Increase or Reduction.
New York City.-Rejecting the an
thracite miners proposition 10 submit
all questions in dispute to the Board
of Cancellation for arbitration, but pre-
venting an abrupt termination of peace
negotiations by making a couater pro.
posal that the question Of wages and
the efficiency of the past methods of
the Board of Cancellation shall be sub
mitted to the Roosevelt Strike Commits
sion of 1902 for adjudication, the oper-
ators' subcommittee of seven in the
Joint conference in the Jersey Central
building, No. 143 Liberty street, re-
coded from their "stand pat deterlnin-
alton not to agree to any concessions
in excess of the terms of the working
agreement that expired on April /.
The demand for the recognition of the
union and all others relating thereto
they declined to submit 20 the decision
of disinterested persons.
With the presentation of their Substl-
tute proposition the operators with.
drew their offer to renew the old work
ing agreement and. specified that they,
as we'll as the miners, shall have the
right to ask for concessions in the mat
ters that they propose to have arDl-
trated.
In their counter proposition the op-
orators denied positively mat there
was any new question Of DISPUTE be-
tween the operators and mine workers
that -:!as worthy of arbitration, put
said they 7ere open to conviction and
proposed that the members of the An
thracite Strike Commission, or such of
them as may be able and willing to act
mot less than a majority of the whole
number), shall be requested to decide
whether an. changes in the conditions
of the anthracite industry have &C.
Cured since the award of the Anthra-
cite Coal Strike Commission, which re-
quires that tine ward should be modi-
fed, as to the following subjects, and,
if so, what t!.at modification shall be:
81. As to wage CT rates of pay
ment o.. the employees, either by way
of increar, or reduction.
SD AS to adjustment of complaints
through the Cancellation Beard or 9th
erwise.
ANY party so desiring shall present
his claim n writing to the COMMISSION,
stating the same in detail.
"Work shall be resumed at once.
The award shall be effective from
April !, 1876. and the present award OF
the commission, with any modification
thus made, shall! continue L effect un-
til March 81, 1909. Three years are
suggested because that ii .le has beer
found satisfactory in the present case,
and al o because this would avoid In
Producing into purely business queS-
tons the political considerations OF a
Presidential campaign.
The members Of til" commission
shall be paid such compensation for
services and expenses as may be hXeu
by themselves. The operators shall
furnish one-half of the same and your
committee shall furnish the other half"
This is signed by George F. Baer.
w. H. Truesdale, J. B. Kerr, David
Wilcox, Morris Williams. g.. b.
Thomas and ]. L. Cake.
Mitchell asked the operators com
mittee if there was reason to believe
that the old commission would be will
ing to serve.
Mr.. Baer replied that he understood
there was.
Does this proposition imply the
withdrawal of your original offer TO eX-
tend the old agreement another three
years." asked Mitchell.
st does" replied Mr.. Baer. THAT
offer is now formally withdrawn
Does this counter proposition to
submit the dispute over the question of
arbitration to the Anthracite Strike
Commission mean that the operators
will have the privilege of asking Tor a
reduction Of the mine workers wages
under the new award?" asked Mitchell.
That meaning may logically he IN
ferred," replied Mr.. Baer.
The Presidential Strike Commission
of 1903 was composed Of United States
Judge George Gray. of Delaware, Pres
ident: Carroll D. Wright, of Clark Uni
versity. Worcester; General Wilson,
United States Army; Bishop Spalding,
of Peoria; e. E. Clark. head of the Or
der of Railway Conductors of Ameri-
ca; Thomas H. Watkins. a bituminous
coal operator, and Z. w. Parker. an
expert statistician. Only one of these
is understood to be unable to take part
in the proposed hearing-Bishop Spald-
inc. whose health is not good. He was
in the commission the strongest adVo-
cate of concessions to the mine work
ers. Mitchell will probably suggest
the name of some person to ill his
place.
: crprrE nVEp AT PlTTSBUEG.