New-York tribune., 1912-03-06
Pass Resolution Which Many
Declare Will Bring On
Prompt Vote for
Strike.
NOTHING LEFT TO DISCUSS
onerators Who Know Situation
Saw Workers Have More Money
than Usual - Think Shut
down Will Not Cause
Hardship to Public.

The demands of the anthracite mine
uorkers were rejected in their entirety
yesterday at q meeting OF the anthracite
ooaI operators. representing some one
hundred companies and firms. ana a
committee of ten was appointed 10 SO
inform the mine workers. There WILL
therefore be nothing to discuss at the
,o,nt conference between the committee
of the operators and the committee oi
mine workers called for March Is. unless
the miners present modified demands.
The only other alternative will be 10
strike
The meeting Yesterday began at ,.
m and was held in the rooms of the
Trunk Lines Association. No. l43 Lib
ertv street. lasting a little over three
quarters Of an hour The announcement
was made after the meeting that the fol-
lowing resolution had been adopted:
Resolved, That (here the names of the
members of the committee are given)
be appointed as a committee with flll
power to represent the anthracite opera
tors and with instructions TO formulate
a reply in writing 10 the anthracite mine
workers declining their demands.
The committee referred TO is as fol-
lows: ]. L. Cake, Alvan Markle, Percy
Madeira, E B. Thomas. w. B. Trues-
dale. F. D. Underwood, F. f. Loree,
Joseph Dickson, George F. Baer and
Morris Williams. OF this committee the
first three are independent operators.
The committee will meet on Monday TO
prepare the reply
None of the operators would add any
thing TO the announcement of the ap-
pointment of the committee and the re-
lection Of the demands. The members of
the committee would not say whether or
rot in their official reply to the mine
workers tl.ey would go into the reasons
IN detail fol the rejection of the demands.
Demands Of the Workers.
The principal demands are a 20 per
cent increase In wages, a yearly agree
ment, instead OF a three-year agreement
an eighth Eour workday, abolition Of the
Cancellation board. the closed shop and
the check-off system. By the latter is
meant that the operators would aid in
the collection Of the dues of the union
members by Withholding the amount Of
the dues from the pay envelopes of the
mine workers.
While none of the operators would talk
for publication, it was learned that a
strike Is expected, not merely an auto
matte shut-do when the present
agreement expires on March 81. A man
who is unusually well informed on the
situation said:
1t is probable that the conference will
take place on March 13, in any case, but
unless the mine workers back down and
present new and modified demands there
will be nothing before the meeting and a
strike will be the only alternative. The
mine workers have been a long time pre-
pairing for the demands, and if they back
down, which is rot likely, what is 10
become Of the union? I believe there will
be a strike, but it will begin when the
winter is about ended.
"A strike would not cause such hard
ships as many people would think. In
the first place, it would take place at a
time when the demand for domestic coal
for heating houses would naturally be
dying out, and in the second place the
anti-smoke ordinance in this city, as IN
the strike Of 1902 would be a good deal
OF dead letter, as many concerns using
steam power would burn soft coal. They
did the same I'm 1902, and in some cases
burned soft coal mixed with the small
steam sizes of anthracite, which reduced
the smoke to a minimum.