Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-07-19
Toll and Its Reward.
Adjusting the Troubles of Illinois
Coal Miners.
THE ARBITRATION AT sTREAToR.

Plan of Inquiry the Arbitrator viii Pur-
sue-A Protest Against Commencing
Work Pending the Investigation-A New
England Trades Un.onist ON the Pro-
| posed Alliance of Workingmen-H He An
tagonizes the Scheme-Notes from the
Field OF Drawn.
SrREAroR, Ills, July l9r-Col W. p.
Rend, Fawcett Plum, and J. E. Williams
went to Chicago last evening to prevail on
| some disntcrested gentleman to act as UNI
| pire in the mining arbitration. In the mean-
time both sides are preparing their case in
| the most thorough manner At the same
| tine the disposition manifested by both min
| ers and operators is that of fairness. The
miners have engaged Alexander Helm.
wholesale coal dealer of Chicago, To present
sheir case before the board In addition to
his knowledge OF the Chicago market, he
was formerly an operator of mines at this
place and is thoroughly cnnversant with this
coal field.
As to the Operators.
The operators will be asked to demonstrate
whether the proposed reduction is called for
by the competition OF southern Illinois coal
or by the cutthroat Comp-titIon between the
operators of northern Illinois. The case of
the Coal Run company VIII lie presented by
Fawcett Plumb, who will endcavor 10 show
| that the present coal market will not permit
hk company To pay ~ cents per ton and re-
tain reasonable profit on the capital in
vested In sinking Otter Creek shaft the
Coal Run company met with many unusual
obstacles, neceSsitating an extra outlay of
some $500
Private Figures To BE Presented.
In determining what shall constitute a
fair return on capital invested the miners
representatives will insist that they lie not
called upon in any way to pay premium on
this unusual misfortune encountered by the
company The company viii also submit
tsbulated statements of their business,
sworn to 10y their bookkeeper, which they
claim will show that they are entitled to a
reduction. These facts and figures will not
be accessible to the representatives of the
press, as they are considered private person
al property.
Sweet Starting Up His Mines.
A. l. Sweet seems to be trying to break
the ranks OF the SUreator miners thinking if
he succeeds his employees at Braidwool must
also succumb No shaft has been started
up mining with machines, or Iron men.
At No | shaft new system of electrical
mining machines has been placed in opera
ton. To induce the machine men to go to
work in order to break the force of the
strike Sweet offers to pay them the same
wages paid last year. The day men--drivers,
leaders and others-however are working at
reduced rates
In view of this movement the miners held
largely attended meeting in the public
park yesterday afternoon, and unanimously
resolved tn use all honorable means TO con
tinue the suspension of work at these shafts
until after the pending investigation. The
mon are very quiet, but are not the less de-
termined They look upon the attempt to
start these mines now most inopportune.
They insist that all men should refrain from
work until the state board of charities con-
cludes its investigation at La Sale and the
board of arbitration at this point presents
its report
Encouraged by the Rise in Coal
Another feature which encourages them to
resist the reduction is the st ,ady ris-
ing coal market The Streator miners are
still firm and confident, and but few cases of
extreme destituiion are heard of, notwith-
standing the fact that during the three
months of the lockout the relief committee
has had but 81 900 to distribute among 300
miners and their families.