The Indianapolis journal., 1891-04-09
Seventy.Five Thousand in Ohio and Pennsyl.
vania Will Strike Next Month Unless They
Secure an Eight-Hour Work-Dsy.
EmployersSay They Cannot GrantItand
Compete with Indiana and Illinois.
Gradual Resumption ofthe Coke Plants Many
Fires Started Yesterday-Strikers to Be
Elected from the Companies Houses.
MINERS AND OPERATORS.

They Are Wide Apart on the Eisht-Hour
Question, and May Not Agree.
PITTsBURG. April a-To-night affairs at
the interstate convention indicate that tho
coal operators and the miners of Pennsyl-
vania and Ohio are about as far apart on
the eight-hour-day question as it is possi-
BILE for them to be. and next month will see
$4,000 miners quit work unless their demand
is granted or q compromise effected. This
is the position OF the men, and they aremet
by the hat-footed statements from the op-
orators that the eight-hour day will not be
conceded, and that q shutdown is inevita-
bic if the men refuse to make a modi-
fication. That is the leading question
before the interstate convention. and
if it is not settled amicably
all other considerations will be thrown
aside and the interstate agreement and
convention will be thing of the past. The
miners have the assurance of the Fedora
tion of Labor that they will have the sup
port of that powerful organization, and are
disposed to be jubilant, while the operators
assert that especially in the Hooking Val
ley region. many burdens not borne by
competitors in the Western districts are
sustained, and that it is impossible to con-
cede the eight-hour day to the day workers
in and about the mines.
At 2 o'clock this afternoon all rules were
suspended and the real issue was brought
ont in warm discussion over the eight
hour question. president Penna made
a strong argument for the miners. saying
they had decided to demand the eight-hour
day next month"; the operators could not
afford to oppose the movement now sweep
ing over the country. anu the miners
made the demand. willing to stand
by the result. He said in conclusion: IF
it IS entirely q question of money with you.
it is no less SO with us. With you it is q
question of accumulation, with Us q mat
ter of the bare necessities. not comforts OF
life"
AN OPERATORS VIEWS.
F. L. Robbins, for the operators. said: II
may say chat no Ohio operators will object
to his miners working eight hours, or six
hours per day; but l may say, also. that no
Ohio operator will allow the working of
his mine to be interferred with. The prin-
cipal reason why this demand is made, ac-
cording to the gentleman on the other side.
is that it was indOrsed by the American
eueIatlOn OF IdDof. we 6To uoW low ia
numbers and are growing beautifully
less those of US who remain in
the interstate convention and it's
agreement. The others have fallen
out because they can get better rate of
mining. Is it right, is IL fair, to ask us to
bear the burden, while nothing is demand
ed of themf The miners are making a mis-
take in insisting on this demand, and, if
they do not modify it. the sooner the inter-
state convention and it's agreement are
abandoned the better it will be for the OPP
orators"
Col w. p. Rend next took the floor. He
himself would agree to the demand if the
hour day, and believes that it will soon
prevail in all mechanical crafts. The only
thing against the granting of 1t is the inOp-
portuneness with which it comes. Valley
operators cannot compete with the
ana p0ls to and and anoahsp Dasra burden would
be outrageous. Why not strike
a medium-a cOmpromise-let the miners
take nine hours this year and eight hours
next year. and in the meantime carry on your
progressive movement among those who
may be called your enemies. A disagree
the coal industry. as it certainly means q
strike. We don't want q strike. If there
is strike because of this matter, let there
be no destruction of property and human
life, such as recently occurred In the coke
region"
miners. To-day, he said. the people In the
Hooking valley are without the necessaries
of life. An eight-hour day would prevent
this.
Tonight caucusses are being held and
the battle will be renewed tomorrow,
when President Rae will speak for the bet
terment of the miners Of Ohio and Penn
av1vania