New-York tribune., 1912-03-16
Miners Refuse to Modify De-
mands and Operators Stand
Pat Against Increase
Asked.
UP TO THE CONSUMER
Owners Assert Any Raise in
Wages Must Be Followed by
Higher Price of Anthra-
cite-Situation
Grave.

The result of another conference
yesterday between the anthracite coal
operators and the committee of ten rep
resenting the mine workers apparently
! left the situation more deeply dead
locked. if that were possible with the
| prospects of general strike at the
mines on April looming large upon the
horizon. The mine workers committee
! submitted a reply to the refusal OF the
operators to grant their demands. in
which they fatty declined to modify the
demands. and asserted that the respon-
| sibility of a strike would rest on the
shoulders of the operators and not their
own. The conference adjourned sine die
! There was no discussion.
| Following the conference, which WAS
| held at the Offices of the Trunk Line As
| sociation. at No. 143 Liberty street. 1T
noon. both sides held further conferences
+ among themselves. Later the operators
issued statement to the public" more
| fully defining their attitude in refusing
, the miners demands and emphasizing
again their inability to advance wages
| unless the consumer was made To pay
the increase in a higher price ior coal
The staten ent ends as follows:
"It does not seem fair and there would
appear TO be nothing in the condition of
the mine workers to warrant an Ad-
vance in the price to the public.
John T. White. president of the United
Mine Workers Of America. chairman OF
the miners committee, and his asSocl-
ates adjourned to the Hotel Victoria
after the noon conference. Mr.. White
aupeared somewhat crestfallcn over the
result of the conference, as he SAID ne
had hoped the operators would see ne
light and at least offer counter pro-
uosal which would open up the matter
for = general discussion. MIR White sald.
however, that the miners intended 20
stand pat on their demands and that any
hope for an amcable settlement was
practically blasted. IT would not be
necessary for the committee mere ior-
maIly to declare strike. he said, as the
men would automatically cease work on
April 1 if a new agreement had not been
reached by that time.
Five Hundred Thousand Men May Quit.
All Of the miners in the bituminous
coal fields as well as in the anthracte
regions. amounting TO about five hun
dred thousand men, would stop work on
that date under similar conditions. as
their three-year contract with the OPP
orators expired at the same time-mid-
night Of March 81, ii was said
The mine workers committed AFTER
short conference at the Hotel victoria
adjourned until to-day at 10 a. M
Chairman White said that the members
merely had met informally and decided
there was nothing further before the
committee. They had decided 10 remain
here until to-day in order to consider
any suggestions which might come from
tho operators in the mean time, it was
said.
While members of the mine workers
committee would not say so, II was lnti-
mated that there had been some sugges-
tion on the part Of certain members Oh
the Operators committee that the vote
had not been unanimous in turning down
every demand Of the miners, and that
after all a counter proposal might be
submitted. If such proposal was made
| il would be submitted directly 10 the
miners committee without the necessity
| of another conference, 1t was said. At
was evident that the miners representa-
,,ves thought enough of such reports to
remain in the city another day, instead
J of going to their homes after the meet
ing at the Hotel Victoria yesterday
afternoon. as Mr. White had said preVi-
ously they probably would do.
There was some talk that 1t was the
disposition of some Of the operators 10
grant a per cent increase in wages ana
disregard all the other demands. 1t was
nointed out that any increase OF wages
was bound to raise the price or COAL ana
the bonuses paid the miners In such
coee would add another / or per cent
Increase to their wages. While the men,
here Of the miners committee here said
that nothing less than 20 per cent In
crease would do, with recognition OF the
union besides, it is understood that the
miners back in the coal fields are likely
n be satisfied with the smaller increase
In wages without insisting on union rec
oenition and other demands. A counter
proposition from the operators to that
effect would have to be submitted to the
great body of miners as a referendum, 1t
was said.
Union Much Weakened.
The numerical strength Of the mine
workers union has fallen off consider
ohlv since the Anthracite Strike Commits
sion was appointed by President Roose-
yeIt IN 1902. Many who were formerly
r,embers have failed to pay their dues
ord are not in good standing at the
resent time. The enrolled membership
:. said 10 be considerably under fifty
tbousand. The union has never been
rocoqn,zed. and there has been no sub
s,ant,al raise in wages since the loo2
scale was adopted. While probably all
s,, sta In o.