New-York tribune., 1912-03-16
COAL STRIKE THREATENED
Continued from first page.

their demands. George +. Baer. presi-
dent OF the Philadelphia & Reading Rail-
road and chairman of the operators
committee, suggested that there was
nothing further before the conferrees,
and an adjournment was taken sine die.
No discussion Of the miners reply was
suggested by the operators committee.
The statement TO the public" issued
follows:
The committee Of the anthracite opera
! tors nave to-day met the representatives OF
/ the anthracite mine workers In conference
| and have received from them formal
answer declining 10 modify their demands.
/ IL orGPr that the pupllc may nave Nltnou'
, delay full understanding OF our attitude
! We unite In issuing the following state
/ ment.
We claim for the award of the strike
! commission no more than this: That the
! commission prosecuted Tor months con
| scientious and painstaking investigation OF
1 the problems presented 10 II, that, by the
/ terms OF it's appointment, the object OF It's
award was to stabliSh the relations be-
/ tween the employers and tho wage oarneTs
4 in the anthracite region on Just and per,
/ manent basis that nothing VAS advanced
/ N the conferences Of 1901 ana 1879 10 casi
u
/ no new condition Is now brought forward,
/ nor have the facts and issues then covered
since been changed.
Minor notifications and additions have
| been made. some at the request of the mine
! workers and others have been effected by
! the operators upon Their own initiative.
/ The operators have always stated, ana to-
/ day again assured the mine workers COM
/ mittcc that they wer. ready TO meet them
! and TO give consideration to any suggestion
urged by them. .
| Grafton the hazards Of the business. ana 80
. stated In ito award Moreover. II Is known
, that the anthracite owners have not spared
! care nor expense I'm anording protection 10
mine workers Not only have they proNid-
I ed the best equipment and safety devices,
hut they have done and are doing more TO
/ educate their employees than Is done In
! other Industries. The government or the
United States has accepted the standards
established by the anthracite operators Tor
, the purpose Of carrying on It's Work IN that
direction. ,
. The anthracite business. unlike the hi
/ luminous IS mixed industry. The pro
! duciion Is the work OF the miner, VINO
works less than eight hours day. Inc
/ manufacturing is conducted at the break
/ crs in the preparation of the several sizes
OF coal for the market. The miners IN me
anthracite region 30 not work longer
/ hours than do those employed In the
b bituminous mines.
! While il is conceded that the cost OF liv-
: ing has increased 1t must be rcmgnDetsd
7
/ mine workers by the strike commission
was based upon the then existing ,eondi,
tions here Among these was tn" limited
| opportunity for work. l6J days In the year,
| as shown By the average tiEurcs Tor the
/ pcriod from 1897 to 1901. Since then the OPP
! portunities for work have steadily In
/ creased until in the year 1911 these We're
/ 90 days In addition 10 the - 40 per cent
| Increase in the rate OF wages in the year
/ 1911 over the year l900, there was an IN,
! creasc OF Il per cent in the number vi
/ working davS. so that the mine workers
/ had the opportunity 10 that extent 10 ln-
| crease further their earnings.
| We again emphasize the statement tha'
| II IS impossible for the operators TO ad'
vance wages unless they can IN some man
ncr realize from the sale of the coal pro
/ duced n sum equal TO the Increase ia the
I wages II is not possible to Increase the
! price of the steam sizes on account or the
/ competition OF hituminous coal, ana II does
| moi seem fair, and there would appear 70
! he nothing in the condition OF the mine
| workers to warrant the advance in the
price to the public.
T.. g. THOMAS,
". H. TRUESDAIE.
T. y. UNDERWOOD,
l.. r. LOREE.
MORRIS WILLIAMS
JOSEPH B. DICKSON,
J. T.. CAKE.
ALVAN MARKLE,
PERCY G. MADEIRA,
Committee OF Anthracite Operators