Evening journal., 1891-04-08
THE WAGE CONFERENCE.
Coal Operators and Miners Meet
at Pittsburg.
BIG INTERESTS ARE AT ISSUE


President Dempster says the situation
Is the Most Critical in the History
Of the Business-Wisdom ana Candor
Needed to Eject Settlement
PrrTsBUEG, April The sixth annual
wage conference Of Ohio and western
Pennsylvania coal operators and miners
began here yesterday. There were seven
| weight operators and seventy-three dele
gates from the miners Over 5000 miners
are directly represented while the result
81 the conference win affect total nnsn.
ber Of 5000. Alexander Denpster. an
operator OF Plttsburg, was unanimously
reelected president Of the conference: r.
Mcbride miner; J. Mortonhall operator.
and 4 $. BROOKS, operator, were elected
secretaries
The Scale Committee.
The following scale committee was
chosen Ohio miners, j. p. Jones ana W
~ Crawford; Pennsylvania miners. A
Winders and G. r. Wallis; Ohio operators
y, >, willard and G. Morris: Pennsyl-
Yania operators, George w Schleuderberg
and p lsari The Monongahela miners
are not represented ia The conference, a.
taey have Nude q successful independent
light for their wages this year
Alter the conference the scale commit
tee met. The miners presented their de-
ihanns ior M increase of 10 per cent. and
the eisht hour day. The operators pre-
sented their demand for reduction 81
aboni l0per cent These two demands will
he presented to the conference today. Thev
VIII be promptly rejected by the opposing
sides who will then begin their delibera
lions for a settlement.
The Miners Demands.
The miners presented the following d..
manls:
a general adjustment Of the scale for /
machine work at an advance Of 10 per
cent ~
2 Eight hours.
p An advance Of 10 per cent. for all hand
digging,
Z. That all coal at the railroad mines Be
weighed on the cars.
Inc operators demanded a reduction Of
lO per cent. No agreement was rpaehad /
Committeeman Jones, of the miners. said
after the meeting that the situation was
desperate
Most Critical Occasion.
President Dempster, in his opening al.
lresSi said the occasion was the most critic
u II the history Of the business. ana The
utmost candor and wisdom would be need
nl 70 effect a settlement. 1t Is believed
hat both sides viii act conservativelv |
me rules Of the last conference will GOV.
.rn the proceedings Delegates outside Of
pennsylvania and Ohio will be given 4
'oice but no vote
The Outside states.
The outside delegates Of Illinois. Indi- I
ina, West Virginia and Kansas who ara
Intending tie conference will confer with !
he operators in their respective states 81
scale based On whatever agreement NAV {
e reached by the conference. These opf. 8
ide states Will each have its separate
eale. They are competitive districts rs
lAio and Pennsylvania and the scales win | ,
therefore, be modified only by local aondi
ions
The knights ia tho Coke Fieht.
The executive committee 81 the limited
line Workers Of America held i confer
neg with John Devlin, Of the general com
littee oI the knights Of Labor. last NIGHT
ir Devlin stated after the conference tbat I
rom this on the Knights OF Labor are h 1
le coke region fight and will back the Z
HAefs financially to the utmost extent 3