The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-03-13
And While the Battle Is Being Wased,
the Fire VIII Probably
Go Out in the Base
Burner.
LOOKS LIKE STRIKE SURE
Anthracite District Miners and Mine
Owners Are Unable to
Come TO an Agree
naent.

limited Press Leased Wire Service
NEW YORK, March 49, Moment
GUS in the extreme was the conference
between the joint scale committee of
the three anthracite districts Of the
United Mine Workers and the own
ers OF the great hard coal Pennsyl-
vania mines which began here today.
On it's outcome hinges peace or war
IL. the district. War seemed almost
certain when the conference began,
but both sides we're hoping against
hope that some method might be
found and agreements reached.
There was no doubt Of the position
of the operators when the session be-
hind closed doors began in the Jersey
Central building. The sub committee
had prepared its answers to the
miners demands. Each was cate
goricai denial and each explained
why, in the opinion of the mine own
ers, the workers were entitled to no
further concessions.
But behind the refusal was feel
ators at least, that some of the de-
mands of the miners should be grant
ed. This was especially so in the
case of the demand for general wage
increases. Several OF the largest
operators have indicated privately
that they were satisfied that the
present high cost CT living necessitat-
ed the payment of more money to the
underground workers, even if the re-
suit must necessarily mean increase
in the price to public" None of this
was set forth in the rejection of the
original demands. 1t was a fiat re-
fusal all along the line.
Neither side cared to hazard a
guess, before the meeting, on the out
come. The miners took the position
that they could say nothing until they
had the refusal Of the employers in
their hands. What they would do
afterward would then be decided, but
their attitude left no doubt in the
minds of all who talked with them
that the union leaders were ready
for any eventuality.
Just whose move it will be after
today's meeting is hard to say. II
the miners accept the refusal and de-
cline to frame counter proposition
modifying the, original demandsIand
they have already said they have nc
power to do SO unless ordered to by
a special convention-then the oper
ators will be in peculiar position
Either they will have to send for the
union men and offer to renew the
negotiations or sit tight until after
April l, when the present agreement
expires, and face general walkout
This was one Of the problems con
fronting both sides when the confer
ence began. The miners said plainly
they had canvassed the available sup
ply of coal in the anthracite fields
They said it would last three weeks
'if carefully husbanded," and that Il
would be impossible for the operators
to get enough non-union men to NEE
the market demands if strike comes
The British Strike.
UNITED Press Leased Wire Service.
LONDON, March 13.--The three
cornered conference between th'
mine owners. the union officials ant
the premier, was resumed in Asquith''
Office today in the hope that means o
strike settlement would be reached
While the conference discussed th,
situation. subcommittee met in al
inner room, to draw up, If possible
settlement agreement upon whicl
all could unite. The premier was de
termined If possible to force an agree
ment today in order to head off tn
Introduction OF minimum wage legis
latlon which he does not desire if /
can be avoided, because Of the genera
demand that would be sure to aris
from other industries for similar leg
islation. 1t is pointed out that, if th
government starts to dictate by la,
what shall be the minimum wage pai
In any given line of industry 1t mus
also provide by law for the acceptanc
OF that legislation by the workers
This would mean compulsory arbitrs
ton, to which the great mass of IL
bor union men in Great Britain ar
strenuously opposed, claiming an
national board OF arbitration woul
necessarily be dominated by The en-
ployers. The stories of the sufferin
throughout the south as the result Q
tContinued on page ID