The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-04-10
OVER $4,000 MINERS
Will Quit Work in Ohio and
Pennsylvania May :.
INTER STATE CONVENTION
At Pittsburgh Adjourns in a Hurry
Because no Agreement can be
Reached on the s.Hour Ques-
tion.-Lntest Dispatches.

PrTrsBuRGH, Pa, April 9.-The Inter
s,ats Convention OF Miners and Opera.
tors closed this evening suddenly, after
A fierce battle OF words and opinions.
Farther talk was declared proftless, and
an adjournment was made sins die 50
onick that it fairly made the miners
heads swim, though they accepted the
proposition with a smile.
This action means practically that the
Interstate agreement has been abol'
i.bed, and that the amicable and har.
morious relations that have existed be-
tween tho two classes tor the past five
years are broken of and may not be re-
sumed.
workers in these two rsgions-0hio and
PspnsylyRnia-WiIl stop work on the
+irst OF May, affecting 100000 persons
directly and hundreds Of thousands in
directly. ,,
Ioyve will also demand an eight hour
JsT A continuation OF work after May ],
now & seems almost impossible. The two
great organizations OF the country, the
Knights Of LStior and the Federation ot
Labor. arc back Of the men, and their
monies will be at their disposal.
Addresses for and against tho move
ment occupied nearly oil the morning
Sessiop, when shortly bsfore the noon
s5iournment it was developed in the
discussion that the miners would be
Wiling to bear any loss resulting from
the change to eight hours, and that the
miners OF Pennsylvania and Ohio were
anxious to continue the friendly rela'
lions vita the operators which have OK.
iSted since the first interstate agreement
five years ago. James Mcbride stated
this morning that 1t was not tho
intention TO force the eight hour
question in Pennsylvania and Ohio at
present. The miners looked upon
The operators in these states as their
friends, and II the latter agreed to grant
the eight hours after the battle bad been
won in Illinois, Indiana and elsewhere,
the miners would be satisfied. This
proposition waa received with favor. and
a committee OF four operators and an
equal number OF miners was appointed
10 consider the matter and report.
The demise Of the Convention was
hsb tened By the report OF the committee
having the eight hour day in hands.
Tha m liners framed the propositions In
the repo!rt to which the operators on the
committee strenuously objected. The
propositions were: .
labor relative 20 the reduction in the
hours will be allowed.
2, That we proceed to make our wage
scale with the understanding that eight
hourg constitute days work alter the
fgt OF May, without the operators
officially indorsing 1t, hut II 1t does not
generally prevail within reasonable
length OF time, the miners Will not In
sist on its enforcement" -,
These demands had been modihed
from, the first demands Of the miners.
mi every operator in the two States,
with one exception, will fight the move
ment, The one exception is Col. w. 7.
Rend, OF Chicago.
Atthe three O'clock session, President
Rae entered from the eight-hour COM
mittee room, and announced that the
committee could not possibly agree on
the eighthour question, even IN lts
modified form. He made briel state
ment on behalf Of the miners, and was
followed 6y F. L. Robbins, for the oper-
ators, who simply said the committee
had disagreed.
Mr.. Morton, Of Columbus, Ohio, then
said the point Of difference in the com;
mittee was too great. They had tried and
failed to reach an agreement. There was
nothing further to do but adjourn sine
die. Mr.. Chapman, On operator, second
cd the motion, and before the conven-
ton could draw breath, the Inter-
State Conference was no more.
Secretary Mcbride, OF the miners, VINO
had bsen absent, hurried into the room,
and when told Of the adjournment,
whispGred excitedly to President Rae:
nMy Col, Rae, will they accept nothing 7
is there nc hope Of anythingT p
"No." briefly answered Mr.. Rae.
The operatolI met in private room,
but did nothing but confirm what had
been done by them in convention. w.
?. Rend did not atte nd this meeting, as
he said no was in favor of the eight
houra, and that the operators would
come back to confer with the miners
after they had tried 1t alcue for year.
He was the father OF the system, aud
they would again confer together alter
each had tried it alone.
The most important business OF the
convention, aside from the pronounceu
disagreement OF miuers and operators
was tho passage Of the following resolu-
ton at a secret nesting OF the miners
Immediately after the operators siea OUT
Of the room:
Rtsolrei, That the miners Of the com.
petitive felda demand an advance on
May |, or pick money-equivalent 70 an
advance OF ten cents per ton IN the
Hooking field-on the basis ot an eignlr
hour working day; and no place IS 70 re,
sume operations until all have received
the advance, OF Until instructed by the
Executive Board.
The labor leaders say tonight they
are pleased on the whole that the oper-
atOrd did not accept their compromise
proposition ON the eight hour question.
II they had, sectional strikes would have
resulted, while now, the miners are Q
unit; nOn.union are As pronounced Us
union men, and it is best the ARhe De
made universal now snd Tor good ana AL
TUE MINtRs' S.HOUR MOVEMENT