Evening star., 1909-03-12
MINE LEADER DEFIANT
Lewis Declares Operators
Must Recognize Union. :.
DEADLOCK IN CONFERENCE
Miners Refuse to Renew Present
Agreement for Three Years.
PROSPECT OF PEACE REMOTE
Final Conference This Afternoon
Expected to End in Failure.
Convention to Be Called.

PHILADELPHIA. Pa, March l2-The
anthracite mine workers and operators
have locked horns.
At this afternoons session the subcon-
mittee of the miners union will tell the
subcommittee of the operators that the
negative answer they gave yesterday 10
the employers proposition to renew the
present agreement for three years is final
and that the only agreement the repre-
sentatives Of the workmen will sign will
be one recognizing their organization and
that it must be signed by them as men,
bers OF the United Mine Workers OF
America. Thomas L. Lewis present OF
the union. is the authority for this state
ment.
| The fact that Mr.. Lewis had definitely
rejected yesterday the counter proposal
to continue the present agreement was
not announced by the miners president
until this afternoon. What the outcome
will be is of course, not known. but from
the trend that the negotiations have taken
! it looks as II one side or the other will
| have TO recede from its position or there
| will be a suspension of work April !.
Lewis States Position.
The stand taken by the anthracite coal
operators is absurd on its face" said Pres
| ident Lewis of the United Mine Workers
today. Il have informed them that l will
not consent TO treat with them as an
individual and that any agreement that
! is reached must be with me as the head
of the miners union.
II shall not agree to anything that does
not recognize the United Mine Workers
as contracting party. and I shall not
retreat from the stand which l took at
| yesterdays conference.
Il have not yet had a chance TO talk
with George w. Hartlein. secretary of
the miners subcommittee, but If I learn
that he signed the statement handed out
last evening, as the joint product OF the
miners and operators committee. I shall
repudiate il.
THE public might as well know that
and my associates will not consent to
prolongation of negotiations that are
based on glittering generalities. Today
| or tomorrow ought to see the finish of
the negotiations in this city. A conven-
| ton of hard coal miners will undoubtedly
be held near the end of the present
month. l am not prepared to say whetll-
er it will be held in Wilkesbarre, Scranton
| or HaZelton. but convention certainly
will be held unless the operators agree to
the demands which we presented yester-
day and which they have said they Will
not agree to.
Plan Carefully Considered.
! President Lewis did not speak heatedly
during the course Of the interview granted
! at his headquarters. in the new Bingham
| Hotel. his manner being that of a man
who had mapped out definite course and
intended to adhere to it. no matter what
| the consequences might be.
! The operators gave us to understand
/ he resumed. at the start of yesterdays
conference that they were meeting us as
| individual representatives of the hard
coal miners and net representatives Of
the union. and ! attempted to make
position plain by saying to them:
" Gentlemen. ] want you to understand
that YOU not meeting me In ind
! vidual capacity. and that ] will not agree
! to any arrangement lat is not signed by
me President of the United Mine
/ Workers.
Mr. Thomas, Mr.. Williams. Mr.. Trues-
dale and other representatives of the
operators had much TO say of their de-
! termination not to curtail the liberty OF
/ the individual. I pointed out to them or
1 tried TO point out to them. that their pc-
si.ion was untenable. | told them that
! they had by their action in organizing
corporations shown that they recognized
/ that the individual was unable to cope
with modern business conditions.
! The Right to Organize.
Il said the miners have as much right
! to organize q union and to be represent
! ed by union they had to unite IN
corporations. Also, | pointed out that
| their organization were chartered, and
! therefore recognized by the state as nee
essary under modern business conditions.
They said that they did not want To
| be understood denying the right Of the
mienrs to organize and that they had no
objection to the mine workers belonging
| to union.
Now, as said yesterday, had hoped
We could come to an early Agreement, but
| ], for one, am not willing to prolong ne
gotiations indefinitely on basis composed
of promises. | expect that We Will he
out of here by tomorrow, there is moth
J ing in the present state OF affairs to war-
rant us in remaining.
There can he no settlement that does
not include the recognition of the union.
That is final. ! can be just as emphatic
as the operators when the necessity
arises.
Another Meeting Today.
The subcommittee of the mine workers
and operators will hold another meeting