The sun., 1916-02-22
QUICK ACTION TAKEN
TO END COAL CLASH
Miners and Operators Agree
10 Submit Workers De-
mands TO Committee.
UNION CHIEF APPLAuDED

Anthracite coal operators and miner.
agreed yesterday afternoon at the Nc.
Alpin Hotel. without the least wrangline
TO place the dema nds OF the miners fol
higher wages and shorter hours in the
hands OF joint subcommittee. The
subcommittee four representatives from
each side--having received the demands
decided to think them over for week
before meeting for discussion on Feb
r,Mry IS at I o'clock
II II doubtful IL the representatives OF
any body Of iabor-ing men and the EN-.
ployerv Of those men ever before came
together 90 amicabiy 10 settle a con.
troverSy which " II should result
IN . strike would paralyze Industry
generally.
And mover before In the history Of
mining IN this country have the en-
ployGs received the demands Of their
men With more enthusiastic applause. II
indeed such demands ever before were
received with applause at all. But such
Woo tuC tdet N'StcFudys
Operators applaud white.
When John r. White. president OF the
United Mine Workers snt down after
formally reading the demands OF his
men the thirtvsevcn mine owners and
their representatives clapped their hands
very generously.
We are only too glad to take this
whole matter into careful considera tion. ''
said :. D. Warrincr. president OF tho
Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company.
az spokesman for the operators. after
Mr.. White had concluded. Every as
pect OF the demands will he carefully
looked into by us We are willing to
stand for reasonable conditions of labor.
ana even 20 20 beyond this. and to
give consideration to the opport unities
for social aHd physical bc:termerI OF
the miners At the same time the
operators must he alive to their own
business conditions and have due re-
yard for their responsibility to the pub
lie"
II was the first time in the history OF
American coal mining that the demand.
M miners upon their employers were
not refused point blank at the outset
Al the present conference there was a
TO maintain cordial relations and to
avoid anything like an open break.
before the conference began Mr. White
said that the miners had left nothing
undons to protect the interests of the
pubic. Practically the same words were
employed by the leading operators
our members realize said Mr. White
mat the public suffers from even a
temporary shutdown. and We have acted
AA SA.
rights and interests
GiSes PIedse to tho Puhiic.
''The public can bank on this Their.
VIII be- 10 s'oppaec Of work In the
anthracite he!d due to the action OF the
miners so long as the operators show
any disposition 10 reach an agreement
We are hoping and expecting an early
agreement that will he satisfactory to
all concerned hut II an agreement is
delayed for any reason We are prepared
10 continue negotiations while there is
the slieh;est hope of coming together"
The representatives OF the mine owners
IN the joint committee are W. l.. Com
nell of the Green Ridge Coal COMPANY.
W. j. Richards. president Of the Penn
sylvanla and Reading Coal and Iron
COMPANY; : u. Warriner. president OF
me Lehich Coal and Navigation Conn
pany. and Morris williams. president Of
the Susquehanna Coal Company. The
representative OF the miners are John
r. White. president OF the United Mine
workers Thomas Kennedy. president Of
District : James Mathews, president OF
District s, John Dempsey, president OF
District !. Alvan Markle Of the q. r.
Markle Company was elected chairman
OF the joint suh-commi!tcs He does not
have a vote.
The miners are making ten separate
demands. The thrc" most lmportant are
20 Der cent. wage increase. an e'ght
hour day. with time and half time for
overtime and recognition Of the union
The other demands are technical and
enect the conditions and me,hCrl Of work
From what could he. learned Yesterday
II seems likely that comrrom'se settle
ment of The wage increase and the eich.
hour day demands will he successfully
reached. 1t Is likely. however. that there
WIN he serious disagreement respect ing
recognition ~ tho union. This is tho one
point on which tae operators are said 20
he not open 10 argument.