Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-13
OPERATORS IN REPLY
To the Statements Made by the Miners
as to Their Present Strike.
EMPLOYERS SIDE OF THE CASE.
They Claim the Men Are Entirely to Blame
for the State of Affairs.
JUST HOW THEY FIGURE THAT OUT

The miners, through their officers, have
presented their side of the existing diff
Guilty through The DISPATCH, and on the
principle that turn about is fair play, the
coal operators, through committee, pre-
sent the following statement of their side
of the question:
'The coal operators of the Pittsburg dis
trict, whose mines have been closed by
strike since October 1, issued this statement
covering the situation from their poiut OF
view, and strongly taking the ground that
the responsibility for the trouble rests with
the miners, and is due to broken promises
by the miners.
''This statement covers the ground from
the date of the formation of the Interstate
agreement between the miners and operators
of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois and In
diana, which grew out of the efforts made
by both miners and operators on the lines
of Cancellation and arbitration. AT the first
convention, held in Columbus, o., attended
by the Pittsburg operators, the relative
commercial value of Pittsburg and Ohio
Goals, in the markets in which they are
competitors, was fully discussed by both
that, owing to the greater thickness of the
veins and the easier mining of the Ohio
Goals, and considering the difference in the
quality between the Ohio and Pennsylvania
Goals, there should be 'differentiaP of nine
cents per ton between the mining rates of
the Hooking Valley and Pittsburg districts.
This figure was agreed to, and maintained
at all subsequent conventions where mining
rates for the two States were fixed.
HOW THE CONVENTION WAS WRECKED.
'In April last the operators and miners
met to fix the rates for these States for the
ensuing year. ThY miners leaders made
persistent effort for the eight-hour day, and
on this rock the convention was wrecked.
When the Interstate Convention adjourned
the miners of each State met with their
operators and made separate agreements, in
which the 'differential' of 9 cents was main
tanned in both States, as before. The con-
vention of Pittsburg miners and operators
was held May 2 and the rate was fixed at 10
cents, to continue until May 1, 1892, for all
coal shipped beyond 20 miles from Pitts
burg, with provso relative to coal shipped
within the 20-mile limit. The agreement
was entered into with apparent good faith
on the part of both sides. In the discussion
previous to its adoption the 'differentiaP
was prominently noticed, and.the miners,
while not hesitating to say that they wanted
to make the best bargain they could, said
that they recognized the fact that the Pitts
burg coal would be at disadvantage in the
markets if any increase was made in the
'ditferential. Its maintenance was to their
benefit and was not an in jury to their
craftsmen in Ohio. 1t was agreed that
change would place Pittsburg coal in
lower relative position in the scale of COM
mercial values in the markets of the North
west and make it subordinate to Ohio
coal. This would be injurious to both
miners and operators alike in the Pittsburg
district.