Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-02-05
EQUAL MINING RATES.
The Reason Why the Late Mononga-
hela River Strike Was Ended.
JOHN FLANNERY'S WORDS DID 1T.
The Builders Reported Progress on Their
New Building.
ALL THE LABOR NEWS OF YESTERDAY

John Flannery, editor of the Trades Jour
nal, accompanied by number of delegates
to the joint semi-annual convention of the
coal miners and operators of the United
States, left last night for indianapolis in a
special car, via the Panhandle Railroad
Among the party were John B. Rae, Master
Workman, Robert Wstchorn, Secretary of
the National Organization, No. 1856;
Thomas Podany and John Osborne,
representing the railroad miners in this
district, which is now subdivision No.
under the new organization; John Con-
way, President, Alvin c. Patterson, Secre-
tary, Patrick Mcbride and Michael Nc
Quad, delegates from New National Miners
Protective Union, and number Of others
from the different miners organizations.
The operators of the Monongahela river
were represented by John A. Wood, Addi-
son Lysle and Captain W. w. O'Neil; the
railroad operators by W. S. DeArmit, F. L.
Robbins and other alternate delegates.
One of the river operators, in speaking Of
the convention, said yesterday:
There is a scheme on foot to hold a little con-
vention of the operators and miners interested
in the Monongahela, Youghiogheny, Ohio,
Kanawha, Muskingum and Mississippi rivers
as a side issue to the other convention. The
interests of the operators and miners in these
districts are
MORE CLOSELY ALLIED
than those of the other districts. If the side
convention is held, then there will be a strong
probability that the question the last strike
was based on will be settled for sometime at
least The history of this has not yet been told,
and, although the convention has not yet been
held, the publication of the matter will do no
harm, as the delegates will have been called to
order before it gets out.
The settlement of the strike last Friday was
a surprise to many of the operators themselves.
At the meeting John Flannery the ex-secre-
tary of the miners organization, and John B.
Rae one Of the present national iona Off 3Ss
operators to declare the strike off
and pay cents MI. Flannery stated he had
made a personal investigation throughout
nearly the whole river district and the suffer-
ing among the idle miners was terrible. He
pictured to them the horrors of poverty caused
by the suspension of work since December ],
and asked in Gods name that the strike be de-
clared off.
A number of operators said this was impossi-
BILE. They stated they could not afford to pay
8 cents while their competitors in the Kanawla
valley were paying but 215 cents. Mr.. Flannery
then asked what benefit the operators were de-
irving from the shutdown, and the reply was
none. He then said if the operators would pay
8 cents on the Monongahela river, give their
assistance to the convention at indianapolis, it
would be an easy matter to bring the Kanawha
operators up to the Scent rate. He showed them
where it would be better for the Monongahela
operators to try and have the Kanawha opera
tors
PAY THE THREE-CENT RATE
rather than have reduction on the Mononga-
hela. After he had convinced them that it
would be an easy matter to establish uniform
ity in the two districts, they passed resolution
to declare the strike off and pay three cents
Mr.. Flannery thinks it is an easy matter to do
This, but 1 do not. AS understand it, the
miners on the Kanawha are not very well Or
ganized, and l think it will be a hard job to
make the operators pay three cents. The mine
owners up the river would pay four cents if
their competitors did the same. All they want
is a uniformity in the price, and they will take
their chances on selling the product. The
miners and operators of the Monongahela val
ley and the kanawha miners are agreed on one
point, uniformity. If they can get the employ
ers of the latter district to see it in the same
light there will be an end to strikes in this dis
trict.
At the convention an effort will be made to
have the railroad scale run for year instead
of six months, as heretofore. The present
price paid for mining in the railroad mines is
79 cents per ton. The miners will, of course,
try to better this figure, and the operators will
try to have it reduced. An effort will be made
also to draw up scale for the river operators
which will last year. This will eventually be
done at one of the meetings. Avery strong in
fuence will be brought to bear to get the
Kanawha operators in the scheme, and, if it is
possible, it will be done.
The other business which will come be-
fore the convention has already been pub
lished in The DISPATCH.