Norwich bulletin., 1909-03-12


 hard coal miners committee in the TSRading Terminal building here today and hatly refused to gr. any of the demands the men laid before them. At the same time they proposed to the mine workers that the present agree ment, which expires March 31, be re- newed for another term of three years. This decision while not unexpected by the mine workers since they long ago learned that the operators were against making any concessions, was a great disappoi intment to the men when they were officially informed of it.
 President Lewis Disappointed.
 When the afternoon session of the conference adjourned, shortly after o'clock this evening, Thomas Lewis, national president of the United Mine Workers of America and his colleagues filed out of President Baer's office and went straight to their hotel with spirit thst was not as buoyant as that with which they entered the confer cnce room. AIr. Lewis declined to com- INent on the developments of the day. beyond stating that he and his cOmI Ritteemen would meet to discuss the situation. The miners will meet the operators again at 2 o'clock tomorrow afternoon
 Statement Agreed Upon by Both Sides. For the benefit of the public, the re- 
 mands of the men was contained in statement agreed upon by both sides 1t follows:
 "A committee of seven representa- lives of anthracite mine workers and committee of seven representatives of the anthracite operators held a joint meeting in the Reading Terminal build Ing this afternoon to discuss the mine workers demands. These Nemands 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- crease in the cost of production would Hecessatate an advance In the price of eoal and that such an advance was inn practicable. The operators said that wageH in the anthracite mining indus try were already at a high level and could not be increased.
 'The announcement of the operators position was followed by a free dis Cussion of the various demands each side stating it's views fully in regard ahereto. The operators declared their pnwillingness to reopen the eight hour Gay question and other questions pass Rdupon by the anthracite strike com mission of 1909. They also declared themselves opposed to the mine work erS proposition for a one year agree Cnent.
 They declined to recognize the United Mine Workers of America, chiefly on the ground that it was con trolBed by bftuninous workers. They said they met MT. Lewis and his com fnittee as representatives of the an ThFacite mine workers and not as off, rsrs Of the union. The operators called upon the report Of the strike commis- sion to support their refusal to deal with the United Mine Workers.
 At the end of the discussion the op-
 
 to rGnew the present agreement Tor Sst n or the'ae years"
 Three Years Ago. The present agreement. made in New York three years ago. when John Mitchell Led the miners in the RegDti- etions, Is identical with the award of the strike conJR1lssiop made in 1903 after the strike of 1962 Three years ago the min5Rs made nanerous de- rnands, but all were rejected and they accepted the renewal Of the strike commission award. which Is the same proposal made by the operators today.
 Demands of the Miners.
 The demands oe the mine workers. drafted in Scranton last October and ratified by the national convention in Indianapolis in January, are as fol- l0~s:
 F1rst-That an agreement shah be negotiated between the representa- tives of the miners and the operators of the anthracite region and all dis putes arising and the contract shall be adjusted as provided for in the said agreement.
 eecond-we demand the complete recognition of United Mine Workers Of America as q party to negotiations Co a wage contract and that the United Mine Workers of America shall be recognized in our right to pro- vide any ,plsthod we may adopt for the collection of revenue for the or gaptsation.
 ThirdJThst we demand an eight hour day with no reduction in wages Fourrh--Thst all coal shall be mined and paid for by the ton of e,oQo pounds.
 F4fth-That we demand a definite and more uniform scale of wages and prices for all classes of labor at all collieries in the anthracite region and that all employees paid S1.5o or less per day shall receive A 10 per cent advance and all employees paid more than $1.50 and less than s2 per day shall receive D per cent advance
 Sixth-JThat the system whereby a contract miner has more than one job CT employs more than two laborers be abolished.
 seventh-That the employers be re- ouired to issue uniform pay state
 
 company, the name of the employe, the colliery where employed the amount of wages and the class of work performed
 Bghth-Thaf the contract shall be made for a period of one year. The Outcome Matter of Conjecture While President Lewis has not an- nouneed what he will do 1t is believed that he had prepared himself for the. outcome of todayz conference and that he will impArt his intentions to his fel- low committeeman and rehearse the miners next step before they again go into joint tonference tomorrow. Those who have followed affairs in the an thracite region believe that fl will be useless for the miners to further insist upon any material change in the pres ent agreement and that the miners committee will call convention from three diBtricts to take mp the operat- ors' refusal and coapter propoSit!on. What the outcome will pe is mat ter of conjecture
 Mine, Workers opposed to Strike. So far as could be learned from the rutnerH eomniittss today, ths majority M1 -kha ndne v nrikArG are Appaaea to