Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-13
RINGING UP MIR. RAE.
Colonel W. P. Rend Telephones the
Miners President on His Arrival.
SETTLEMENT MAY BE IN SIGHT.
What the Leader Says of the Miners
Meeting at Houtzdale.
GARNERINGS IN THE FIELD OF LABOR

Miners. came into town last night from
Clearfeld county. Shortly after his arrival
Colonel w. P. Rend telephoned to Mr..
Raes hotel desiring to see him. He had
retired, however. He saw DISPATCH re-
porter, though, who communicated to him
the substance of dispatch received from
| Clearfeld to the effect that Mr..
Rae had been in Houtzdale while a
meeting of miners was being held,
and failed to put in an appearance; that he
left suddenly and mysteriously and without
consulting any of the leaders. Rae's actions,
the dispatch read, created great deal of
surprise and unfavorable comment. The
principal object of the meeting was a talk
and conference on the half holiday, which
many of the miners were in favor of discon-
tinuing. William S. Powell of the United
Miners Executive Board, presided
Speeches were made by James White,
miners agent of the district; David Bailey,of
District A, and J. V. Henderson.
ARGUMENTS FOR THE HOLIDAY.
The subject of continuing the Saturday
half-holiday was discussed at length. 1t
was argued by some that the miners, in view
of the many losses suffered by individuals
in the banks here, should be allowed to go
to work full on Saturday, in the hopes of re-
trieving their fortunes. Others said they
had hard work to get the benefit of the half
holiday on Saturday, and should not give it
up so easily, that it was as fair for one as
the other. A vote was then taken of the
meeting-which was rather small-which
resulted in favor of continuing the half-holi-
day as before.
"The statement that vast in Houtzdale
during the meeting is untrue" said Mr..
Rae. 81 was in Houtzdale during the day,
and transacted business with White and
Bailey, but left it on other business before
the meeting came of. Those reports are
sent out by few disaffected, who are sore
because the two districts were made into
one l recommended that the half holiday
should be continued on the stipulation
heretofore made, that nine hours should be
worked during the week and eight hours on
Saturday. This was agreed to. There is
no talk of any separation of the two bodies.
The idea of the knights of Labor drawing
away is not based on any fact. "
"What did Colonel Rend want with
you?''
A CONFERENCE NOT IMPOSSIBLE.
'I don't know, except it might be to talk
over the situation. l understood the opera
tors want to see me. /, however, cannot do
anything until the miners committee and
the operators come together and make over
lures. I am powerless until then. OF the
present aspect of affairs in this district l
know nothing"
Secretary McQuaide was with Mr.. Rae at
his hotel late last night. Mr.. Rae will be
in town for few days and it is not impossi-
bic may be instrumental in arranging a
basis of settlement with the operators
REPLY TO THE OPERATORS.
President j John Costello and Secretary M.
McQuaide late last evening issued the fol-
lowing as their reply to the operators
statement elsewhere printed in this issue:
''The differential between the Ohio and
the Pittsburg districts was "a cents before
natural gas displaced coal as fuel in Pitts
burg, and when the first convention of
operators and miners met in Columbus
the operators of the Pittsburg district made
the plea that on account of the displace-
ment of coal by gas they had no market for
their stock and had to employ men to haul
it away or shovel it out on the ground.
They also complained they were compelled
to sell their nut coal at a lower price for
these reasons. They claimed the SiSh1an-
tial should be reduced tU-372 iH''ts' :. the
miners agreed t. it. The following year
the Pittsburg operators went into
the Joint convention and demanded
the ditferential should be still further re-
duced to cents. This the miners were
forced to accept, in order that the joint
movement should be continued.
BLAME CHANGED CONDITIONS
''The conditions of which the operators
complained have been changed. Instead of
paying men to throw the slack away they
sell it for cents bushel and nut coal at
cents. In view Of these facts we be-
lieve the miners demands to be just. The
responsibility for the trouble rests with the
operators and not with the men. The oper-
ators were the first to violote the agree
ment by refusing to pay the price agreed
upon. They annulled the agreement and
broke faith with the miners by three -fourthS
of them refusing the head work scale. The
most prominent operators in the interstate
movement have always refused to pay the
prices agreed upon"