Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-05-06
IL MEN MUST Be RESTORED TO PLACES
Award Of Commission to Continue Until
Otherwise Determined.
)MHlTTEE MEETS OPERATORS MONDAY
Convention Takes a Recess Until Tuesday
to Act on the Report
STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT MITCHELL
Miners Leader Reviews History of
Controversy and Gives Reasons
for Apparent Backdown
of the Union.

for Apparent BackdOwn
OF the Union.
SCRANTON. Pa. May Son the advice
of President Mitchell. representing the sub
scale committee the miners convention
today unanimously voted to adopt the fret
proposition Of the operators. a continuation
Of the award Of the anthracite coal COM
mission, with the modification that the
term for which il is to continue shall be
mutually agreed upon. The operators sug-
gestion was that Il should be at least three
years.
The action Of the convention. together
with request for conference on Monday.
was telegraphed by President Mitchell to
Chairman George F. Baer OF the operators
committee, and an answer was received
agreeing to "A conference at o'clock Mon
day afternoon at the Jersey Central Offices
In New York. The only matters to be dis
cussed at the conference are the length
OF time the wards shall continue and the
provision that there shall be no discrimlna-
tiou against the men who obeyed the mine
workers suspension order II is practically
certain that the operators will not accede
to any suggestion for a two-year agree
ment, that would throw the next confer
ence into presidential year and as the
miners will not want a long term agree
ment the chances are that three-year
agreement will be eventually entered upon.
An intimation has reached here from Presi-
dent Baer that the operators will not dis
criminate against the miners now on sus-
pension and the local representatives Of the
coal companies say the same thing II
| looks, therefore, as II a strike has been
averted and the miners will return to work
probably on Monday, May u.
Address by Mr. Mitchell.
| In his address to the convention in pre-
senting the report Of the scale committee
| Mr.. Mitchell said:
l am in favor of raising the low paid
/ men to the standard of the high paid men
f, During the six or seven years that have
/ been in the movement in the anthracite
region ] have learned to know much about
| conditions here. ! want to assure you that
I i am not at all pleased with the wages OF
conditions. l believe they should be i'm
proved
In considering the policy of the organiza.
y ton we must consider sits possibilities. IfaI
were sure strike would be successful, that
you could win; that YOU would stand to-
stay away from the mines, until we got
better conditions. But from the informa-
tion have received from all parts Of the
In shape for strike. Dt,
know that there are many among us
VINO are not IN sympathy WIN q HkT3he
movement. We must retain what we have
rather than lose what we have gained In
the two last strikes.
In deciding this question. may ask you
to do II without passion or sentiment, but
with due regard to what Is best now. What
ever your decision E, E is whether & III II be Pc strike
together, accepting without reservation the
conclusion OF the majority
Mr.. Mitcheips Statement.
At the close of the convention President
| a.tf..
For several months we have bsen endeav-
oring to negotiate wage scale and adjust
ment OF conditions of employment with the
panies. During these negotiations we made
number OF propositions, each Of which
ma aterialy modified our original demands;
We did this not because we were convinced
that our original propositions were unfair
? or wrong, but purely for the purpose Of
finding common ground upon which we
and maintain peace In the anthracite Goa
, industry. We still believe that our nrs'
proposition was reasonably fair and, not.
withstanding the notifications we have
) since made in the interest of peace, and
now We are face to face With the alterna.
conditions or declaring a strike. In thli
crisis your committee recommends the fol
. . First-That we agree TO work on tn,
basis Of the award OF the Anthracite Goa
D Strike commission for such period OF tim
E as may be agreed upon mutually hetweel
the Representatives OF the coal miHinl
companies and our scale COMMITTEES, pro
: vided that all men who suspended worl
= on April / or since that time, or who hav
1 been diBmissed because they stated tina
they would refuse TO work II q stTik
+ former positions and working places.
Second-That the scale committee procee
at once TO meet the representatives OF tn
I coal Companies with a view OF seeurin
an agreement upon this basis.
Third-That the convention remain In ses
sion until Tuesday and the scale committe
shall report to the convention at that tiin'
Fourth-That the suspension Of work sha
"a continue until an agreement has bee
- reached and It's terms approved by the cor
~ Yention. .
=, the full scale committee and was adopte
| unanimously by the convention. a teis
/ gram 70 Mr.. Baer proposing a oonterenc
!. sponso is received the subcommittee wi
- proceed 20 New York 70 arrange the detail
G OF sstuement and Will report TO the cor
N venuon Tuesday morning.
le This recommendation was signed BY n
n full scale committee. adopted unanlmousl
L. by the convention and telegram va
Sc sent TO Mr.. Baer proposing conforens
M on Monday. The convention adJourne
es until Tuesday. when It will meet 70 hes
a. the report Of the committee.
tv Joy in Anthracite ReEtOn.
The news that the convention bad d
creed against a strike was received vii
N Joy throughout this region. Since the del
gates began to arrive In Scranton {
K wednesday it was felt that the result
the convention would be the transf0rmir
OF the suspension into a strike and tn
the strike. when II did come, would be
- long one, attended by much disorder
of was not until last night that indication
lie pointed 10 even a possibility Of peace
by To the miners the news 10 very satisfa
OF tory. They are willing 70 strike II Jol
p. Mitchsll thought they ought TO- but tn
]. arc glad that he decided otherwise.
of. Anent the rlimor OF the possibilities
Of. the operators continuing the suspension
Dr. a punitive lockout In tho guise OF an 2
Ia; forced idleness on account Of gluu
ol, market. Colonel r. A. Phillips Of tho Del
er, ware, I4Ackawanna a. Western COMPANY
mines today said the prospect Of a 90
summer are bright. In his opinion the
might be a slack time for a couple
he weeks about June I, but after the midt
OIL OF June there would be good and prosDero