Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-26
OPERATORS ARE MAD.
Charges of Injustice and Bad Faith
Made Against the Miners
FOR WANTING MORE MONEY NOW,
Ground Broken for New Tin Plate Plant
in Allegheny.
MISCELLANEOUS INDUSTRIAL ITEMS

The reported intention of the miners to
ask for an increase in wages has stirred up
a hornets nest among the operators. If
present indications count, there will be a
strong opposition planned between now and
the time their demands are formulated. j.
Morton Hall, of the Pittsburg and Chicago
| Gas Coal Company and secretary of the
operators conference committee, furnished
the following yesterday, which explains the
terms upon which the wage question was
settled last spring:
| PIrrsBURG, May 2, 1891.
| The Pittsburg Coal Operators:
| GENTLEMEN-Your committee has agreed
| with the miners committee as follows:
Price of mining to be 70 cents for one year
from May l. 1891
| If Board of Arbitration composed
equally of miners and operators decide that
the local market (within a radius of 20 miles
of Pittsburg) will bear an advance over out
| side markets, the advance to be divided be-
tween miners and operators.
F. L. ROBBINS
| Chairman of Committee.
| j. MORTON HALL, Secretary.
DEMANDS OF THE OPERATORS.
In view of the above, the operators pro-
| pose to demand that the miners live up to
the agreement Upon its stipulations they
| base the claim that no change in the wage
| question can be made in any reason for q
| year from May 1 unless the demand for
such change is presented to the Arbitration
| Committee; and that committee is only au-
| thorized to make q change in case of an ad-
vance in the price of coal over outside mar
| kets.
In this the miners see "colored gentle
man in the woodpile," inasmuch as If they
| Committee, which is composed of an equal
number Of operators and miners, they
would count on the measure reaching no
decision. President Rae openly notified
the joint conference last spring, that the
miners would only accept the terms agreed
upon at that time temporarily; that as
soon as favorable opportunity arose, they
would demand an increase. They claim
| they can now make these demands without
violating any part of the agreement.
The proposed demand for an advance
was complete surprise to the operators.
When Mr. Hall was seen yesterday he said:
"On June %, our Board of Arbitration met
| and adjourned subject to the call of the
miners after July convention. That meet
ing has never been called. The operators
are willing to abide by the agreement and
carry it out in good faith, as they have SO
far done.
NO NOTICE TO THE COMMITTEE.
'The arbitration committee consists Of
five miners and five operators and if any
differences arise they should be brought be-
fore the committee. The miners all know
the committee Is in existence, but to the
best Of my knowledge they have not been
6o1 oFo nnr
last spring was harmonious one, and
the men have been supplied with
plenty of work right along. I was
not aware of any intention on their
part to make these demands at this time
and I believe it will be unwise for them to
do So think it would be unfair. As
long as the weather keeps warm the gas will
hold out, and as long as it lasts manufact-
urers will use it, and it would not make so
much difference whether we suspended
business or not. But, if the cold weather
comes, the general impression is that there
will be a good demand for coal and the
miners count upon that as favorable op-
portunity for making their demands The
lake trade is opening up and the local
outlook is good. 1t would be taking an un-
fair advantage of the operators to make de-
mands for an advance under such circum-
stances, and have faith in the integrity
and honesty of President Rae and the other
officials of the United Mine Workers to
think that they would not allow such de-
mands to be made. :"
PRESIDENT RAE'S VIEWS.
Unfortunately for Mr.. Halls implicit
confidence in President Rae. the latter gen.
tleman does not seem to have much to do
with the case. When seen at the Home
Hotel last evening, he said: "Six weeks
ago received O notice that the miners of
this district would make demand on Sep
tember 1 for an increase. I sue
ceeded then in showing the men that
it was not an opportune time for
such move and get them to postpone ac-
tion. There was some feeling among the
men, and whether the officers were here or
not the proposed demands would be made.
The matter is totally in the hands of the
men of this district and l am only here to
see that no irregular proceeding takes place.
Whatever demands are decided upon next
Tuesday will be indorsed by the organiza-
tion, and we can give sthis support without
violating any agreement whatever. Our
side is not thoroughly understood, re'ative
to that agreement by which the operators
will try to bind us to 70 cents, but it will be |
explained in full at the convention"
President Rae and Vice President Penna |
are sure to be at the convention next Tues |
day, and it was learned from another source |
last night that the whole executive board |
of the United Miners will be here. The |
regular meeting of this board would take
place at Columbus just week later, but it |
IS understood that President Rae will call |
the meeting here next week in order to act |
on whatever demands the local miners
make, as well as on another difficulty at one
of the mines in this district
ADDRESSES TO THE MINERS.
President Rae was at Lucyville last night
and addressed large mass meeting of |
miners. He will speak at Mcdonald this
afternoon, assisted by John Costello.
The river mines were started in full this
week, and the operators look for a rise
toward the end of October, when about 90
600, 900 bushels of coal will be sent South.
There is some fear that the threatened strike
of railroad miners may cause break among
the river miners, and there is considerable
uneasiness.
ALLEGHENY CATCHES ON.