The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-03-29
Neither Miners Nor Or
orators Will Recede
From Their Stand.
HALF MILLION MEN
WILL BE INVOLVED
Contracts in Bituminous and An
thracite Fields Expire Sunday
Night, and Workmen Will
Lay Down Their Tools.
Employers Refuse to
Offer Compromise.

| Cleveland. o.. March as.--Little
prospect of settling the bituminous
coal miners wage dispute 10 prevent
y strike next Monday and the shutting
! down Of practically all mines operated
g. by union men was seen BY the opera
tors ami union officials to-day after
they had conferred for hours and had
failed to agree.
The lack OF any steps toward i'm
mediate settlement and the fact that
! only three more days Intervene be-
fore tho anthracite ana bi,um!mous
wage scales expire were said To make
1t almost certain that widespread
stoppaSe OF coal production will begin
! next week for an uncertain period and
a strike, Involving abou, 5oo.Ooo men,
may cnsuc. The situation tonight
was:
| The miners in the anthracite fields
| Of Pennsylvania viii qu't sunday mid
night because their agreements with
the operators expire at that time, and
no new agreement even If il were
being considered. would be put into
! effect in time to prevent the suspen-
sion. The union officials declare the
suspension virtually Will be a strike.
Expire Sundny Midnight.
The contracts OF tho miners In the
bituminous regions also expire SIM
dag midnight. and they probably will
suspend because they have no new
agreement upon which to continue.
Officials of the union assert II a
strike in both classes OF mines is call
ed it will entail a loss in pay TO the
mon Of approximately 100000 "a day.
| y conference held in the hope that
a strike ar even a suspension i'll the
Unanimous mines might still be avert
cd was without result up to tonight
1.-THE operators and miners OF Western
PENNSYLVANIA, Ohio. Indiana and I'LL
nois, VINO are trying to iiX n wage and
working, scale n0t only for their own
districts, but also as the basis for ali
other unionizcd bitumlnous districts.
then adjourned until . O'Clock to-
morrow morning.
To bring the situation TO crisis
Major Walker, of the Illinois miners,
proposed that all miners drop their
demands and make new one for an
increase of , cents ton on all coal
mined. He explained that his pro-
posal d'd not come Jointly from the
miners. but he made II on his own
iresponsIb iity TO avert a prolonged
Industrial struggle.
he operators part of the confer
ence called for an Adjournment which
gave rise TO reports among the miners
that the operators were going 20 pro-
pose a compromise on the basis OF >
cents ton increase over the present
scale. The operators. after meeting
alone, stated they had decided TO offer
no such compromise, but rather to
! stand in their original position to con-
tinue the present scale FOR two years
| and nothing more. That Is the ulti-
matum. they said which will be de-
livered TO the miners al the full con-
ference tomorrow.
No Further Compromise.
Il look for a breaking off of all
negotiations Tomorrow said Fl. NJ.
Taylor, president OF the Illinois opera
tors. 1T would have como to-day had
it not been that we did not want TO
appear to be in haste In bringing about
a strike. We will offer no further
compromise
Prcsidcn, John P. White, OF the
United Mine Workers of America said
that IL a strike were called among
the bituminous as we'll as among the
anthracite miners il would not be be-
! cause the union had failed TO exert
every effort TO avoid it. He added that
| so far the anthracite miners were
concerned the strike already had been
called to take effect Sunday midnight.
| The policy committee of the union
lis waiting hero TO take such action
as may be necessary in case all neGo-
tiations are broken off. In that event.
he members say. their efforts simply
will be to devise ways and means in
connection with the conduct of the
strike.