Omaha daily bee., 1912-03-31
MEETING APRIL 10
LIKELY TO SETTLE
: ANTHRACITE WAR
Prediction Made Suspension in Hard
Coal Regions Will Not Last
More Than Month.
FIXING OF DATE RAISES HOPES
Miners Take Initiative for Reopen.
ing Of Negotiations.
WORKERS EXPECTING ADVANCES
Reports Show May Recede from
Some Of Their Demands.
Reports Show May Recede from
Some Of Their Demands.
PRODUCTION FOR DAY SLIGHT
Many Laborers Already Lay Down
Their Implements.
MONDAY Is GENERAL HOLIDAY
Complete Tlcup OF Four Hundred
Thousand Hard and soft Coal
Miners viii he I'm Effect
ON Tuesday.

PHILADELPHIA. March ,3o.-That
|, the suspension of mining IN the an
Jhracite coal regions will not last more
ttan a month, If that long, was the ex-
pressed belief Of coal operators In the
hard coal fields today, when they learned
that the representatives of the miners
and the committee of operators will
meet In Philadelphia April 10 to resume
negotiations for a settlement Of differ
ences.
Reports from various sections Of the
mining regions show the mine workers
expect that viii be given an increase
in wages. probably about 10 per cent
and that they viii have to recede from
some OF their demands. The news that
another conference is to be held spread
rapidly through the coal country and
created good feeling among the men.
Many of them never expected tn sus-
pension would be prolonged one.
he initiative for the reopening of ne
gotiation was taken By the anthracite
miners in a telegram to George +.
Bser. president of the Reading company
and chairman Of the operators commit
tee. Mr.. Baer replied that the opera
tors were still willing to meet the men
and the fixing Of date quickly fol-
lowed he last telegram In the exchange
of communleations was received BY
President Baer late this afternoon and
was TO- <he effect that April 10 was a
satisfactory date for the holding Of the
Joint conference. VI
The production Of anthracite coal today
was far below normal because many OF
the mines worked short handed. This
was due TO the Sset that miners who had
'run out OF powder and oil did not get
new supplies m view OF the suspension
and did not enter the mines. Hundreds
OF other miners quit early and do not
expect TO report on Tuesday morning.
Monday win be general holiday
throughout the anthracite regions as the
miners always observe the anniversary
OF the granting Of the eIght-hour day
10 the soft coal men. although the an
thracite men work nine hours. Mine
workers expect a complete tleup on Tues
day.
summary OF SITUATION. ..
CLEVELAND, o.. March so-while
10000 anthracite and bituminous miners
prepared to quit work tomorrow at mid
night. when their present wage agree
ments expire. the operators and union
officials today took steps to make as
brief as possible the stoppage Of the coal
production.
The l50.ooo anthracite miners in Penn
sylvania will stop for an indefinite
period, but arrangements were completed
today for a reopening Of negotiations to
settle their wage dispute.
The operators and miners conference
viii be held in Philadelphia on April 70.
A months suspension in the anthracite
mines was thought probable.
The bftum.nous miners. after an eleven
days conference with the operators here,
have secured an agreement which will
givo them slight increase in pay. As
their agreement. however. must still be
ratified by tho unions policy committee
and then by referendum vote OF the
union. a suspension In the bituminous
mines viii begin pending the result OF
the final vote.
Reports to the heads OF the United
Mine Workers OF America indicated the
bituminous wage agreement would be ae-
cepted generally.