Evening star., 1925-11-28
Signs of Coal Peace.

PC Gov. Pinchot is trying again 10
bring about a settlement of the an.
: thracite strike, having called A con-
sference of operators, miners and bust
mess men to be held at Harrisburg to-
day. The representative of the opera
tors. however, has informed the gov
:, ernor that he cannot get his commit
tee togther for such a conference on
short notice, but 1t would appear that
there is more than inability to make
necessary arrangements for the meet
Ing in the refusal to attend at Harris
a., burg today. The operators spokes-
man is unwilling to so into a confer.
ence without knowing what proposals
the governor has to offer as the basis
of the renewal of wage negotiations
and the resumption of mining pending
settlement. This is not an unreaSon-
able position. The operators have
throughout the negotiations with the
miners representatives been willing
to submit the questions at issue
TO arbitration. They are warranted,
therefore, now in seeking TO know
upon what footing they will stand in
a governors conference.
Signs multiply that the strike is
nearing an end. The miners leaders
are evidencing a willingness to settle,
= each public statement on the subject
being less defiant than its predecessor.
The strike has now lasted nearly
tbrsa he ho tril l-o
must be pretty well exhausted. There
2 Ia little chance of securing additional
funds from other labor organiza tons.
The miners themselves are about at
the end of their resources. Those who
had savings have spent them. Those
without savings have been subsisting
~ miserably on the pittances received
from the strike fund. Some have
been living on credit and that credit
is now strained. If the provisioners
of the anthracite region were to cut
off supplies the strike would end with
in forty-eight hours.
In the Fall of 1905. three years
after the settlement of the protracted
coal strike of 1902, when the time ap-
preached for the writing of new con.
. tract between the operators and the
miners, representatives of wholesale
supply houses canvassins the anthra.
cite district for orders pa assed the
word at the instance of their princi-
pals that in case a strike should be
called in the Spring on the expiration
ne -,
would be withdrawn from the retailers
in the hard-coal towns. This warning
was one of the chief instruments for
insuring continued peace in the an
thracite fields. Retailers passed the
word themselves to their customers
that if strike were called they
could not carry them on their books.
When the time came for a final de-
cision the vote was for continued min-
ing.
n' 1t would be to the public interest
if such a warning had been given last
, S"n.oaar. AS it is. tho coal miners of
the Wilkes-Barre area have
heen carried along for three months
by the supply dealers and their credit
is now about exhausted, as are the
strike funds. So they are talking
peace, through their representatives
who are keen to note the signs of
disaffection in the ranks. and are
therefore agreeable to Gov. Pinchot's
: proposal for some kind Of a settle.
ment. But the operators, it now ap.
pears. want to know what kind OF a
settlement the governor suggests. In.
asmuch as they have been at all times
willing to arbitrate their attitude Is
justified.