New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-03-06
HARD COAL DEMANDS
CONFERENCE 1T PHILA-
DELPHI1 THURSDAY.
preadent Le7cis and Miners Leaders
N Discuss Situation tcith Anthra-
cite Operators.
rRv Telegraph to The Tribune, ]

.,-,,,,.s- rsar-re. Penn March 5.-About fifty
-ar+atiyes Of the Mine Workers Union met
.-r, .o-dav with National President Lewis TO
-. FOR a conference with the anthracite
@, oreratfrg interests. After the session to-
-. president Lewis issued the following
4s...,sn+ announcing that the conference would
- hsId in Philadelphia on Thursday:
The meeting Of three district boards was TO
;ser the prospective conference with the
anthracite operators. Maha @ - ~ - +be
.ii Cu4iii moi because we would not like TO take
pun IIl,- into our confidence at this time but
I .,a reason that We believe 1t would be an
for the ,-sj-suc method 10 diYulge negotia tionS
unNtse &c nending and which viii affect vitally
Nll o,1- neople as we'll as varied interests
80 -es s,15fsrence between the anthracite opera
iHe - T-nited Mine Workers representa-
tols n Re held at the Reading Terminal Build
80 rbiladelphia. beginning IhursuaN' AaISh
Is II o'clock g. m This Is contngenI Only
j. az 1Is 1Iss.rb1a nostponement 10 a later date OF
On -ne - on account Of the pressing nature or
IeE h,,.5,iess of interested parties Inc mem
we Du s ~ three anthracite district executive
peFS oi ~ n .S,e three International board mem
ooaros % ta anthracite districts. with such other
1o-rese,.stives as We may seIecC VIII :" ~
DtlTodejnbia 70 attend this conference.
,-.s,5ent Lewis who arrived here last night
So while in Philadelphia he met Pres-
dent Raer Of the Reading company Freslueh'
,Fa-se williams Of the Susquehanna Coal Com
.oo1 interests. and W. A. Lathrop, president OF
Che Ifhieh Coal and Navigation Company.
-bfe in New York. he said. he met President
---,asdsle of the Delaware, Lackawanna &
western company. President Loree Of the Della
ware Hudson company and President Thomas
Of the Lehigh Valley Railroad With them he
arranged for conference next Thursday
WHAT THE MINERS WANT
The Conference to-day took UP the questions
Of an eight hour day. the collection Of dues for
the union by the companies known as the
acbeck-of". system: the weighing of coal and an
Increase in pay for outside men, There are
ot5er demands, but these are the most i'm
pertant ones
There Is much speculation as to what the out
come Of the negotiations will be. The miners
look for a SUSPENSION at the expiration Of the
rresert agreement on March 81. until negOtia-
lions are finished They believe their demands
will be declined at first, but hope to reach some
cofnpromise The forty national organizers in
the field are busy recruiting the union, thou
sands of its members having let their dues lapse
since the last strike
Mr.. Lewis said to-day that upon comforting
with the presidents Of the coal carrying rail-
roads in New York recently he found them all in
the best Of hurnor. President Truesdale of the
lackaHanna was particularly ail4d''iS
49, President Lewis sought q conference with J.
L. Cake president OF the Independent Anthra-
cite Coal Operators Association at Pittston,
near here. to-day. Nj Cake, however. was
called away by an urgent Philadelphia message !
and Mr. Lewis was Informed that Mr. Cake
would meet him later
THREAT OF SUSPENSION.
Mr Lewis made statement tonight which
would seem 10 indicate that there are possihili- /
ties OF a suspension Of operations in case the /
negotiations for a new contract extend later /
than March 81 II had been generally under /
stood that such was not the case. both from re /
puted interviews with Mr.. Lewis and from the {
reported action OF the national convention, but /
Mr.. Lewis. in response to a question on this I
point said that the national convention had /
taken definite action He refused TO say def /
nitey that there would be suspension. and when /
pressed further said: = think it is rather un-
fair of you TO anticipate that the negotiations /
are likely to continue for so long a period" and /
he added, and l don't Ike long extended nego- |
tiatons anyhow"
President Lewis. by reason Of the demands |
made upon him during the evening. following /
the conference OF the afternoon, was unable TO |
leave this city for the West tonight, as he had /
anticipated and viii probably not 90 until some
tine tomorrow afternoon
When asked tonight to give his impressions
O. Ia Piesldents o. the anthracite coal carrying
Foads whom he has met President Lewis said: /
was pleased with the genial disposition shown /
oy al think good viii come from getting ac-
gualnled' certainly il viii do no harm. As for
President Baer / think he is d much misrepre-
senteo man; he is gentleman Of firm convic-
uohs- Positive nature adverse to fighting, but
not afraid"