New-York tribune., 1912-03-22
MINERS TERMS REJECTED
Operators Turn Down All Soft
Coal Workers Demands.
A CONFERENCE TO-DAY
Sub. Committee Will Consider
Possibility of a Compromise
in Hope of Averting Strike.

in Hope of Averting Strike.
Cleveland, March 2l.-hn the demands Of
the 2Ol.co0 miners I'm the hituminous coal
fields of Western Pcnnarlvaniu. Ohio. Ind
lana and Illinois for 10 per cent increase
In pay ana shorter working hours were
voted down by the operators to-day.
As a final effort to prevent a prolonged
shutdown Of the mines after April l, and
possibly strike. the whole dispute was
then referred to subcommittee. This
Subcommittee. composed of eight miners
delegates and eight operators, will meet to-
morrow morning 10 consider the possibility
Of a compromise to be recommended to the
general conference.
Both operators and miners declared after
the union demands had oeen refused, that
the coal situation throughout the country
was grave lntimations were made by John
u. White. president of the United Mine
Workers OF America. that the negotiations
here might continue until next Monday,
when the unions policy committee will con-
venc.
Besides the 100000 miners in the four
states directly concerned, 10000 bituminous
coal miners in other states are dependent
upon the present deliberations for "A basis
of making their wage scale, and in addi-
ton the policy committee will consider the
wage demands Of about 10000 anthracite
miners. 1t was pointed out by Mr.. White
that the wages Of more than $4,000 union
miners after April were in dispute and
that the coal output of ;he country, other
than that mined by nOn-unon men, was
involved.
News from New York ;hat :he anthracite
opcrators and miners might reconsider their
differences. however. had the effect OF
arousing confidence among union officials
that the anthracite situation might he
eliminated.
The voting down 10y the operators of the
hituminous coal miners demands late to-
dav was summary. Mr.. White had said
that if the first demand requiring all the
men to be paid on hat tonnage basis
without reductions for slack or small Jumps
was refused then the negotiations were
futile. He wanted the miners TO be given
an increase of 10 per cent.
Negative Vote on All Demands.
The thirty-two operators then demanded a
vote on all the thirteen demands without
discussing the rest of them. The result
was negative. All the miners delegates
withdrew from the conference with the un-
derstanding that the operators would meet
alone to consider another plan. recall
of the miners resulted in the formation OF
subcommittee.
"The action of that subcommittee Will
! be by no means final" said Mr. White. III
merely may recommend. 1t may come
hack with recommendations which neither
side will find agreeable. If we reach no
agreement by April ], a strike Will auto
matiCally follow, for We can't work with
out an agreement. II We do reach an
| agreement it will be a question as to just
| how long a suspension OF business will
| last for there is bound 10 he suspen-
! sion"
The operators said they did not look upon
the reference of the dispute to sub-com-
mittee as holding out any prospect OF i'm
mediate settlement
I'VE have not much encouragement when
! the operators are on record as refusing the
| demands and the miners are saying they
will not yield" said f.. A. Cole, OF COlum-
bus. Ohio. representing the operators. Re
ports had been received by Mr.. Cole that
the bituminous coal already. mined would
last a month after April !.
Thomas J.. Lewis, former president NJ
the union, said the present critical situa-
! ton was merely a repetition OF what took
place every two years when a wage scale
was to be drawn up. lie thought settle
nent would be reached within a few days.
Shamokin Penn, March 2l.-The strike
at the Scott colliery. operated by the Min
cral Railroad and Mining Company, ended
| to-day without the company dischargins
employees named by the United Mine Work
crs as Objectionable 10 them. 1t is believed
| the union leaders, on account Of the inn
minence Of a general strike next month
advised tie 500 Scott men 10 return 10
work.
! Philadelphia, March 2l.-The coal COM
panies i'm the anthracite fields OF Pennsyl-
Vania are making preparations for the pos
sible suspension Of mining at the end OF
this month An employment Office in this
city, II was learned to-day, has cnga gcd
| about 5o0 men 10 20 to tie coal fields prob
ably next week. The men engaged. include
| guards, cooks, walters firemen and genera
utility men. They are TO receive 3 80 q
| day, Transportation to and from the Goa
| regions and board. The cooks will receive
an extra 81 30 day if they prove salts
| factory,