The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-12
COULD NOT AGREE
ANTHRACITE COAL OPERATORs
 REFUSE MINEIsy DEMANDS.
This Decision Was Not UnexDeeted q Miners Had Learned That Op- srRt0rs Were Against Mak-
 ing Any Concessions.

efHt0Fs Were Against Mak-
 ing Any Concessions.
 Phiiadelphia, Pa, March 11.-The anthracite coal operators met the com mittee of hard coal miners in the Read ing Terminal Building here today and natly refused to grant the men any of the demands they laid before them and at the same time proposed to the mine workers that the present agree ment which will expire March 3ist. be renewed for another term of three years. This decision was not unexpected by the mine workers. as they had long ago learned that the operators were against making an concessions Thom- as Lewis. national president of the United Mine worke of America. de- elined to comment on the developments of the day. beyond stating that he and his committeeman will meet to discuss the situation.
 The miners will meet the operators again tomorrow at o'clock.
 The formal announcement made for the benefit of the public of the re- fusal of the operators to grant the demands of the men, was made in a statement agreed. upon by both sides. It follows: e' "A committee of seven men, repre-
  CTS and a committee of seven repre- sentatives of the anthracite operators. held joint meeting in the Reading Terminal Building this afternoon to discuss the mine workers demands These demands are the same that were drafted in Scranton last October.
 The operators declined to accede to the demands The chief reason offered for the rejection was that any in- L. IL. ~l ttrx ,.rld necesSitate an advance in the price Of coal and that such an advance was impracticable. The operators said that wages in the anthracite mining in- dustry were already at high level and could not be increased.
 The announcement of the operators refusal was followed by free dis cussion of the various demands, each side stating its views fully in regard thereto. The operators declared their .unwillingness to reopen the eight hour. day question and other questions passed upon by the anthracite strike committee of 1902. They also declared themselves opposed to the mine work CTS proposition for one-year agree mApt.
 They decliped to recognize the United Mine Workers of America, chiefly on the ground that it was con- 
 said they met MT. Lewis and his com mittee as representative of the anJ thracite mine workers and not as of ficials of the union. The operators called upon the representative of the strike commission to support their re- .,usal to deal with the Mine Workers. At the end of the discussion. the operators made the definite proposition to renew the present agreement for a term of three years"
 While President Lewis has not an- nounced what he will do, 1t is believ- ed he has prepared himself for the result of to-day's conference and will impart his intentions to his fellow committeeman and perfect the details of the next move before they agsh go into conference tomorrow.
 So far as could be learned from the miners today. majority of the work CTS are opposed to strike.
 President Lewis was much exasper- ated tonight when shown the state ment that had been given out. He said the arrangements with the oper. ators was that the subcommittee wal to act as a press committee and pre- pare a. statement for the public.
 George W. Hartley represented thu miners on this committee and Georg, F. Parker of New York acted for th' operators. Mfr. Lewis left the meet Ing before the statement was prepared When he was shown copy tonight ht expressed great surprise that Hartiey should agree to such "a one-sidet statement' and declared that he want ed an explanation from Hartley as tt whether the statement given out Is tht one agreed to.
 MT. Lewis added:
 "The statement shown to me tonfgh as coming from the joint conference i' not complete and simply 6 statemen giving the operators position. Hay ing agreed with all members of th' conference that the secretaries of th' operators and miners representative should act as press committee. l d not feel at hperty to give out state ment as to what transpired today il khe conference and in order not to vio fate confidence, I shall refrain iron giving out a statement until tomorrow night"
 Mr. Lewis added that hereafter h. will act his own press committee.
 New Mining Code.
 Pittsburg, Pa.. March 11.-Ever. coal mining concern in the Ptttsburt district was represented at meetint at the offices of the Pittsburg Goa Company to discuss and vent t their opposition to the proposed ne' mining code, prepared by commis sion appointed Dy 9oVornot E<UWoAo gtuart and now pending in the Legis iature. The meeting will be contin ued tomorrow.
 Millions of dollars worth of moder electrical machinery will have to b removed and many of the big minin plants in Western Pennsylvania wi he forced to close if the bills pro posed and the amendments offered ar adopted" said one of the largest coa operators in the district today. Tn bills were designed primarily to pro feet the lives of miners but the op orators think they will work grea hardships to them.
 Francis Feehan, of Pittsburg. presl dent of district No. s of the Unite Mine Workers. was one of the com mission named by the Governor prepare the new code. Ills appeal the Legislature yesterday to ba electrical machinery and open lamp from the mines has aroused the or orators and the mining interests the State are expected to oppose tn proposed legislation. ]
 BLEACHED FLOUR.
 A.S