Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-06
DEMANDS TOO HIGH.
Ohio Operators Threaten to Quit the
Interstate Compact,
IF THE MINERS ARE PERSISTEN
Governor Pattison Will Appoint Boiler
Inspector To-Morrow.
MISCELLANEOUS INDUSTRIAL ITEMS

The Interstate convention of miners and
mine operators of Pennsylvania and Ohio
will convene in the Court House tomorrow
at o'clock P. NJ, for the purpose of con-
sidering and determining upon the scale of
prices to be paid for mining coal during
the coming year, beginning May 1. About
so delegates are expected from Ohio. Of
this number 20 operators came in last even
ing, and are stopping at the Monongahela
House. The others will put up at the An
derson. About 20 of the Ohio miners also
arrived last night, and are stopping at the
First Avenue Hotel. Preliminary meetings
to discuss the situation will be held BY both
sides to-day.
j. S. Morton, of Columbus, and f.
S. Brooks, Secretary for the Ohio
operators, are at the Anderson. Mr.
Brooks said: "The miners have not de-
clared themselves, but at their Columbus
meeting they foreshadowed their demands.
They asked then for an advance of 10 per
cent, want eight hours per day and inti-
mated that the coal should be weighed be-
fore screened.
Declare They VIII Fight 1t Ont.
81 warned President Rae in a circular
letter that the Ohio operators would never
accede to these demands, and If the leaders
persisted the Ohio people would
withdraw from the Interstate agreement, as
Illinois and Indiana have done. Illinois has
had cheap mining rate since it did so. None
of the mines could be run If the change in
weighing the coal before screening were
adopted. / am not prepared to say what the
Ohio operators will do. but if anything we
ought to have a reduction. The year has only
been a fair one. ana there are heavy stocks on
hand in the Northwest. Most of the men in the
coke country would be willing to accept a
sliding scale, but the labor leaders object, be-
cause they see that suck rule would remove
the question of wages from their dictation.
Whether we stay in the agreement or not de-
pends on the conservative views of the leaders.
Their toreshadowed demands certainly will not
be granted"
Miners Not Inclined to Talk.
The miners at the First Avenue Hotel were
inclined to be facetious, and preferred not to
talk until President Rae arrived this morning.
A meeting will be held to-day to formulate
their demands. In 4 general way they want an
advance of 10 per cent. shorter hours and i
proportionate increase for tn leaders of ma
chine mined coal. They will make 4 special
point on this request. These men are now paid
30 cents per ton for loading cars while the dig
gers receive 70 cents. They claim that the pay
Is not proportionate to the work. After the
machines cut the coal tho leaders
have to break it up before they can put it on
the wagons. They furnish their own powder,
and they think they are not well enough paid
for this extra work.
Among the Ohio operators at the Mononga-
hela House are A. L. Hart Glouster: Joseph
Staller and z. L. PosGon. Nelsonville; A. NJ.
Job. w. s. Courtright and II. r. Sackett, Co.
lumbus, and r. N. Staller, New Straitsvile.
None of the Toledo operators have arrived.
A Great Change in the Makeup.
There will be noticeable change in the make
up of the convention this year. The operators
in Illinois and Indiana refused to abide by the
agreement last year. They broke away from
the Pennsylvania and Ohio operators. and have
been going 1t alone ever since. A. Dempster,
who has been chairman of the conferences for
the last three years, will call the convention to
order and will likely be made permanent chair
man.
There will not be much done the first day out
side of passing on credentials and appointing q
scale committee. Although there has been
very little talk about the matter the confer
ence promises to be a stubborn one. The pres
advance and the operators q reduction. Both
sides have been keeping quiet, but active prep
arations have been made to force their re-
spective interests, and the conference will no
doubt be lively one.
The matter of eight hours will also be pre-
sented by the minersand an effort will be made
to secure the adoption of the eight-hour work
day without resortng to a strike. But the
operators will refuse this. They will not con-
slider the eight hours in any form III the present
conference.