The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-04-20

The Operators Three Cent
"a Rate DerIded Upon ;t

"a Rate Derided Upon.
PirrsDuR6u, April 19.-A full meeting OF
failroadicoal operators was held this morn:
Ing at the offices OF the New York and
Cleveland, Goal Company, Fifth avenue.
Alexander Patterson, Esq, was called to
the chair and Mr.. J. L. McCrickart was
chosen Secretary The first Business was
the. reading OF the letter Of Secretary John
Flannery, and President schaming, Of the
MinersS . Union, Ito the operators. It was, on
motion, tabled. The following preamble
and resolutions were then offered and
passed unanimously on motion Of Mr.. De
Armit, seconded by Mr., Hartley:
WnERgAs, While We view with satisfac.
ton the-@illingness Of the miners OF this
district to amicably settle the question oi
wages, and while we are 10th " take any
action ut this time which would seem to
PREJUDICE the matter, at issue, or which
might in any degree tend TO dampen this
proper Willingness to settle it by reason
rather than by force, yet, inasmuch as the
state OF the market demands an immediate
reduction in the cost Of coal to enable us
10 quote such prices as will obtain for this
district its share of the trade now offering,
and about 10 offer, and as our failure to
meet promptly these circumstances would
be but hurtiul alike to operator and miner;
therefore, 1t is
Resolued, That notice OF reduction In
price Of digging from three and and a half
10 three cenls per bushelb be given, to. take
off MnnAuU 4 nFtl bn 1900
ReS0lrea, That we will cheerlully grant
access 10 our books to a committee Of
miners or their properly authorized repre-.
sentatives, that they may sec for themselves
that this action on our part Is ot necessity
and is iorthe mutual good ofboth operator
and miner. ....--.. ........ .
Thefollowinglis OF pits already working
at cents was given by the operators pres
ent: Slope, Simmer Hill, Charters Valley,
Glendale and Mansfield No. g, on Char
tiers Brier Hill, Midway and Fort Pitt
mineslon the main lines OF the Pan. Handle,
also Hartley 4 Marshall, and Carlin's, on
Saw Mill Run R. R. s stE5af, i r
''a I. h'' rwo oriSioSs '''''- 49,
The above action at least relieves the
situation OF much OF the uncertainty which
has succeeded the failure OF arbitration.
Mr.. Flannery was not disposed to discuss
the probabilities Of strike. He said,
however, that the operators seemed to lose
sight of some important factors in the
situation. One was the high cost OF living
in this city.
E",In any OF the mining towns in ohio,"
said he, "a good house can be rented for
81 and S. per month the same house here
rents for 81 and S., and yet we are ex.
pected to dig coal for the same rate. The
cost Of food Is also higher here, but not
proportionately so much as rent"
On this point an operator said:
"The price Of coal must rule the price for
digging. The latter Is three cents, when
coal on the wallat Union depot Is six cents
and less, as is the case now. The largest
consumers among our customers, the big
milla out Penn avenue, have notified us
that unless we can fill all their orders at
six cents they must either close or buy
elsewhere. We have no alternative but
must have cheaper digging. twill IN.
doubtedly 70 hard with the miners until
rents fall. This must soon come about.
Rents are the first to 60 up and the last 10
COME down always. But, with the circum.
stances now surrounding the railroad coal
trade Of this district, three cent digging Is
the only salvation"