Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-08
Railroad Miners and Operators Meet
in Annual Conference.
SCALE TO BE PRESENTED TODAY.
Mining Commission Getting Down to
Work on Its Revised Law.
MISCELLANEOUS INDUSTRIAL NEWS


tion of scale ever held by the miners and
operators will commence. There was at
Yesterdays meeting, however, every indica-
tion of harmony between the two bodies.
Mr.. A. Dempster, who called the con-
vention to order, took an early op-
portunity to caution the delegates on
both sides to use wise judgment in all their
deliberations. "There never was time, !"
said he, when there was as great demand
for courtesy of conduct, candor and Hber-
ality as now. We have met here as
board of arbtrators who are to do as juries
do-wait until all the facts have been sub
mitted to them, and then with cool, deliber-
ate, wise judgment render their decision.
There should be no premature enunciation
of what is to be DONE"
Those Who Are Entitled to Seats.
A Credential Committee consisting of NJ.
McQuaide and W. c. Pierce for the Penn
sylvania and Ohio miners respectively and
J. Morton Hall and F. s. Brooks for the
operators, was appointed. They reported "a
miners delegates from Pennsylvania, 3S
from Ohio: % operators from Pennsylvania and
IS from Ohio. making total of $50 representa-
tives in all. The full list follows:
Pennsylvania operators--Frank Armstrong, ID.
NJ. Anderson. j. T. Armstrong, James Blythe,
Dyser, Henry Florsheim, J. Morton Hall, R. H.
Latimer, w. q. O'Neill. Alexander Patterson. r.
ngef j. seuS George u B.
Sauters N. L. Sandford, Jesse Sandford, u.
A: Andrews and Thomas Taylor.
Pennsylvania miners-James Anderson, Owen
Cruise. ". T. duff. samuel Devore: John Dunn,
FGss Jases osn Srs ss Harm
hS9Rnaa sSiSGrn 'SRn W. @ TS aesa4y 1y' william
Cue Patrick McBryde, George Newton. James
EeSersson, Eke%a ai Joseph sSo%nlng l Andrew sa1ase
Thomas skillan, W. H. Thomas, Abram winders
lizard, ". 8; Heatherington, +; B; Chapman, e.
B. j. Msoae J. r. jones' f. 8
Ii aons lanes E. + 5Snss M Morgan %sra On s.
John Bustard, L. p Lampman, ,. j. Malone,
Shear: 5 MVFRy Williams & Moses sos Ha
issa B1ss Eend l. samas nnsss Ray u
bonid. ". L. Caten, Morrison Foster, George ".
Nose; MSEsaph Al j. L a.Imsn Ma5
Morgan, II. $. Wallace: =, WainwFsghtI;r Ir,,,.
HSrns Ss MdSss ARRpsssTs r. %s ge,epR
Gilman. Thornai Cool. X. l.. Davis. John Fahey,
iSnsi yHs css%ss o tf% aHfa a
L. G.. Jones. John Lenning, Donald Mcdonald,
Jane, Mckee, W. c. Pearce, John phillipson,
Thomas Thomas VI. H. Turner. Thomas Turn
bull ;; wright George Wend. Harry Williams William
Given a Voice, but No Vote.
Among those whose faces were familiar in
former conferences were John Kane and Frank
Lockhart, OF Indiana; G. w. Murray and Nj. ].
Goings, of Illinois; S. W. Peter. of West VIr-
ginia, and P. H. O'Donnell, of Kansas. These
were given voice in the conference but not
vote.
/ of the conference as a compliment to his merits
as presiding officer. He has presided over
the last three annual conferences and has yet
to make his first distasteful ruling to either
miner or operator. w. c. Pierce and Patrick
McBryde for tho miners ard j. Morton Hall
and f. S. Brooks for the operators were elected
permanent secretaries.
organized the Chair announced the first bust
ness would be to settle upon rules and an order
of business to govern the conference. On mo-
tion of Morrison Foster. the rules of the last
convention were adopted. The appointment
of the Scale Committee was next in order, and
as the delegations from each State had chosen
mittee the matter was easily disposed Of The
committee Is as follows:
Pennsylvania operators-George W. Schlu-
derberg and j. c. Dyser.
Ohio operators-C. Morris and III. 8. Will
lard.
Pennsylvania miners-Charles e. Wallis and
Abram Winder.
Ohio mlners-John P. Jones and w. h. Craw-
ford.
It was decided that the vote upon all ques-
tions coming before the conference should con-
s Of s ballots divided equally the
miners and operators each two votes. The
conference then took its recess.
A Conference Meeting of Miners.
Immediately after the conference adjourned
there was joint meeting of the Ohio and
Pennsylvania miners presided over by Mr..
Rae, and which renamed in session until 6
o'clock. About the first thing done was to
secure pledge of secrecy from every delegate
as to the scale. Mr.. Rae said the open conven-
tion is the place where this should first be made
known.
The scale was then discussed and the Scale
Committee given instructions upon the points
desired to be included in the list of prices. At
the Columbus convention in February scale
was prepared comprehending an advance of 10
cents in each of the districts, but the miners
finally came to the conclusion that if they were
to make the scale they had no use for a con-
ference. and it was accordingly laid over for
consideration at the present conference.
The Scale Committee met last night at the
Keystone Hotel, on Fourth avenue, and pre-
pared their scale. They were in session until
nearly midnight, and NO authoritative informa-
ton was given out. The general impression is,
however, that the operators have allowed the
miners to report a scale asking for advances,
and also the adoption of the eight-hour work
day. They declare they cannot pay any ad-
vances because the general business, with In
creased competition from West Virginia, Indi-
ana and Illinois. does not justify it.
The other delegates were not idle last night.
The Executive Board of the United Mine
Workers met in the Home Hotel. Presl-
dent Rae had telegraphed John Devlin,
of the General Executive Board of the K. of L.,
to come to Pittsburg. and that gentleman met
with the miners Executive Board last night.
This meeting was for the purpose of mapping
out course to be pursued during the con-
ference and to secure from Mr.. Devlin an Off
cial statement in regard to the support which
the miners are TO expect from the Knights.
Moral and Financial Aid Pledged.
Mr. Devlin pledged the fullest support pos
sible, both financial and moral in aid of the
miners IN securing the adoption of eight hours,
and any other demands they may make The
miners will therefore go into to-day's conference
more determined than ever Mr.. Devlin has very
positive opinions regarding the relations
between the miners and operators. After the
meeting last night he said: II have no SYM
pathy for the coke operators. They have
brought this trouble on themselves by bringing
over cheap foreign laborers without any re-
gard to the rights of their employees. The
worst of it is that the men. by association with
these ignorant people, are liable to be de-
graded. The evil can't be remedied now
and we have little hope from the ris-
ing generation. People in other sections
are watching the rioting. and they become
prejudiccd against the cause of labor. No one
viii object to a reasonable sliding scale, but the
miners will certainly not accept a rate of wages
made up by the operators when the one pre-
sented by the men IS ignored. 1t is subter-
fuge to claim that leaders are opposed to
sliding scale. because it would remove the
wage question from their dictation.
The System Denounced as Wrong.