Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-06-03

ground. The striking miners who are
mostly ignorant Italians. showed nasty
disposition tow ard the militia, but no at
tacks were made. though the soldiery was
warned to be on the watch and not to 60
single handed.
The history of the
PRESENT STRUGGLE
is interesting. During the latter part of
1885 the mines and operators represent
ing four large coal producing states, each
tired of perpetual strife, and the frequent
costly experience of strikes, assembled in
joint convention for the purpose of
adopting scale of prices for mining that
would enable them to pay living rates for
labor and realize fair percentage on their
capital. and place the various competitors
ia q common market upon a basis of
equality. Several meetings were held from
time to time, and the system of fixing
rates by this method for mining in adj
vance partially perfected.
For some time, as result of the
fri endly feeling expressed by both parties
between whom in the past such bitter war
had been waged, the industry slowly i'm
proved from the condition to which the
fierce competitive struggle of previous
years had reduced it. Early in the sum.
mer of 1887 the Illinois operators, or that
portion of them principally in the north
ern part, who had of their own volition
became part of the interstate movement,
protested in vigorous terms against the
decision of the interstate board of arbi>
tration and Cancellation in authorizing an
advance of cents per ton over the then
existing prices for mining to take effect
on the first of May, and an additional ad.
vance of 5 cents in November to con-
tinue to the end of the scale year.
To none OF the propositions submitted by
the arbitration board would they assent,
even while one OF them went so far as to
exempt the Illinois operators from the
provisions of the advanced scale for one
month. and at the end of that period, if
the prices paid for mining at certain
competitive points in their own state were
not advanced to basis of relative equal.
ity. they would be permitted by the other
states, Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania,
that embraced the interstate movement
To CONTINUE WORKING
upon the terms of the year before. These
propositions being rejected, the operators
from our state withdrew from the joint
movement and submitted to their miners
the prices of the year before, which, ac-
cording to the decision of the arbitration
board, would be equal. during the latter
part of the scale year, to reduction of
ten cents per ton. This the miners ac-
cepted finally. rather than engage in a
fight at that time. giving the operators
the advantage of the difference in price
in the market over their eastern compe-
titOrs. The adoption of the first scale.
put them, as they practically admitted.
upon a basis of competitive equality. The
other three states carried out what they
had agreed to. At the beginning of the
present scale year the operators from
Pennsylvania and Ohio, the states that
had paid the advance. while Illinois was
exempted. proposed to settle with their
employees upon a reduction of two and-s
half cents per ton from last years
terms. Now what do the Northern
Illinois operators offerp While they
have been insisting upon equal prices,
that all might have fair show in com
mon market. there are not two of the
large companies that have made the
| same proposition as to prices. The
mines under the management of A. l..
Sweet. of Chicago, at Braidwood and
Streator. will resume. that gentleman
says. when they are ready to accspt a
| reduction of 10 cents per ton, as against
| the % cents offered by his eastern COM
petitors. The
MINES AT SPRING VALLEY
| under the control of the coal king of
Pennsylvania, W. L. Scott. have closed,
| and the miners are locked out pending
| the decision of the managers as to the
| amount of reduction to take place; while
the mines operated at LaSslle by the
Wyatt Brothers, start up upon the terms
| submitted by them, it is equal. consider
ing the accompanying conditions, to q
reduction of from "a to 80 cents per ton.
| The operators and not the miners are
alone responsible for the present suspen>
sion. The miners agree to accept a re-
ductiOn of % cents corresponding to the
terms of which some of the districts in
the east have settled. They invited the
operators to meet them the other day in
Joliet, to effect If possible settlement
This the operators refused to do. The
niners then appealed TO their intelligence
to submit their differences to board Of
arbitration. pledging themselves to abide
by their decision. This proposition was
also rejected. leaving the miners the onl!
alternative Of ceasing to produce coal a
| price from which they could not hop,
to reasonably maintain their families.
Readers Of the daily papers have beer
posted as to the troubles at Braidwoo,
where it was necessary to call out tn
militia last week, the strike extending
throughout Bureau, LsSalle, Grundy, Viii
| and Kankakee counties. Public sympath'
is with the miners. though the communit.
does not encourage their lawlessness an,
the company is first and above al
blamed for bringing the foreign labo
to this country in the first place
Today everything is reported quiet a
Spring Valley. Maj. Abel and three o
the Rodman Rifles returned this after
room, and it will not be surprising if tn,
company remains on duty week Of
more.
| Police Points.