The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-03-13
The Question at Issue.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
BRAZIL, Ind, March 12.-The point at is
sue in the adjourned meeting of the miners
and operators belonging to the Miners Ma
tiOnal Progressive Union, in session to-day
at Columbus, O., is whether or not the scale
base for mining coal in Indiana shall be re-
formed to the extent of reduction of IL
per cent, as demanded. Ohio and Pennsyl-
vania obtained from operators and miners
in 1887 low rate on account of natural
gas. Gas so disturbed their mar
kets that coal had to be mined at
limited price, or not at all. The miners
accepted the situation, and the Indiana OPP
orators consented. The price was go cents
in Ohio, and 60 cents in Pennsylvania. In
Indiana Is cents was paid for bituminous,
and so cents for block.
Two things have since happened. First,
Indiana has become natural-Cas State.
Gas is found here, and the demand for coal
has materially decreased because of gas and
fuel oils in our principal markets. For
time, our nOn-cOking block coal held the
field with large manufacturing estab-
lshments in Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneap-
oils, and other Northwestern cities, where it
was deemed absolutely necessary. First
coke was introduced by wealthy operator
firms who manufactured 1t out of our
cheaper bituminOus Goals as a substitute;
then came oil fuels. AS result our block
coal has greatly suffered.
disturb the scale-base is the fact that Ohio
and Pennsylvania operators have literally
stolen the market from their Indiana breth-
rem. Aided by much lower rate in mining
they have reached Chicago and the North
west generally by, means OF, rival
roads leading to the principal lake
ports, whence lake transportation held
them on at ruinOusly low rates.
The Indiana operators ask their rights as
members of the national order. Though it
means reduction of IL per cent. in the
price of mining Indiana Goals, yet the min
ers are anxious for work to resume, even if
the rate be lower Several of the operators
have expressed their views privately on
a solution of the difficulty here, if at all
They will, of course, insist on the reduction
as inevitable.
A Worthy Foreman Dumped in the Street.
CHICAGO, March 12.-In the presence of
General Worthy Foreman Wheat and Dis
trict Master Workman Mrs, Rogers,
Worthy Foreman LinhOlm. of District
Assembly "a, knights of Labor, was to-day
forcibly elected from a meeting of Walters
Local Assembly 7475. Mr.. Wheat and Mrs.
Rogers were then told by the irate
walters to "get out" The two re-
tired, after!suspending the assembly, which
now proposes to secede permanently and
join I. b. Barry's Brotherhood of United
Labor. Barry, in fact, was present at the
meeting. and some peppery talk by him
was the Immediate cause Of the row. The
meeting had been called by the walters to
protest against the removal of Anarchist
George Schilling from the office of district
master workman. Schilling was suspended,
two weeks ago by the court
of the district, it is claimed
without trial The charge was insubOrdina-
ton and disrespect to General
Master Workman Powderly. Mrs.
Rogers was soon installed as Schilling's
successor, and to-day attended the meeting
of the walters, accompanied by General
Worthy Foreman Wheat and District Fore
man Linholm. The walters had invited
Barry to be present, and the meeting was
hardly opened when Barry began a bitter
denunciatlon of Wheat and Powderly.
stigmatizing them as hypocrites and cor
ruptiOnists. Mr.. LinhOlm objected to this
language, He was Immediately set upon
by number of walters and dumped into
the street. while Mr.. Wheat and Mrs
Rogers made a scarcely less hurried exit.