Show COAL PEACE IN PROSPECT T What That threatened to be one ot of the most serious strIkes in the history of the country may bo be averted by the ne negotIations negotiations which have been going on between the mine mIno operators and of tile the unions In the bituminous bItumInous inous coal eoal mIning districts The official statement by President John Mitchell that a national convention will be hold held heldon holdon on March 15 by the workmen affected holds out hope that a settlement may maybo maybe bo be reached without th the strike which was wan to have been called on April 1 The announcement was as given out on TUes TUesday Tuesday day with the presidents letter express expressing expressing ing the hope that a peaceful agreement would be reached While a coal strIke In any region Is always to be deplored d beca because se of the great number numbe of men affected and the Immense loss which always follows the bituminous field Is so great it is spread over such an Immense area and the thep p pOssibilities of loss are so stupendous that a strike Involving th bituminous mines would be almost a national ca calamity lamity From this distance and with the meager facts at command it Is not easto easy to pass upon the merits of the demand for higher wages The miners them themselves themselves selves are not entirely agreed upon pon the tho case as witness the insubordination of Dolan the PIttsburg delegate who voted with the operators to adjourn their last conference On the other hand the general public will be In to sympathize with the miners In the belief that the prosperIty of the railroads and the condi condition condition tion of the coal business at large justify theIr claim for ft a share of the increased ed earnings which have undoubtedly tel fol followed lowed the ex expansion of busIness The main p point Int wl with h the public the Innocent spectators Of f the situation S Sto sto to have the controversy settled without a resort to Industrial war which would only result in lOBS tt to every one con corned and particularly to the con consumer sumer who invariably pays the cost of such wars ars |