Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-06-20
BAD FOR MACHINES.
Why the Consolidated Rejects
the Springfield Scale.
CRITICISM OF THE UNIONS OFFER

Implication That Il Was Gotten Up for
the Benefit Of Hand Mine Mon and Oper-
ators-Alleged Unfairness Pointed Out
Mcbride and Adams Meet at Columbus
and Tell the Convention What They
Think Of Each Other-Field Notes.
ST. LOUIS, June 20-General Manager
Simpson. of the Consolidated Coal COM
pany, has given out a statement as to
why his company will not sign the
Springfield, Ills, conference scale. Simp-
son says: ''The scale demands an advance
In the wages Of machine miners in south
ern Illinois in which wages have not been
reduced for years, while at the same time
it reduces the wages in hand mines,
where the wages have already been cut be-
low the corresponding rates paid in the
machine mines. 1t demands large adj
vance over 1898 rates from machine mines
In southern Illinois, while Pennsylvania
and Ohio have gone to work at reduc-
duction of IA per cent, and while north
ern Illinois only demands the old rate In
the Danville district the rates have al
ways been 10 cents below the adjoining
btuminous districts in Indiana.
Other Inequalities Alleged.
Z "Still an advance of 10 cents is now
asked at Danville, while Indiana takes a
cut of II per cent by the Columbus settle
ment. 1t proposes a uniform rate of 12
cents per square foot for machine mining
in all central and southern Illinois, en-
tirely ignoring the varying conditions
which prevail in the various mines. This
would enable men working in some mines
to earn IS per day. while i'll others not over
s.. so could be earned by the same labor 1t
changes the relation which the wages of
the helpers ut machine mining have borne
to those of machine runners from G6ss per
cent. to S31a per cent, although the pres
9nt ratio has been in force and without
complaint for ten years.
scheme in the Rule for Measuring.
ut proposes that the space cut by
machines shall be measured every day in
stead of weekly or monthly because it
knows that the sum of the daily measure.
ments will Over-run the total taken at
the end of the month and thus give the
machine runner an unfair advantage
The demand of an increase from is to 81 ! ,
to men loading after machines in the
Peoria district would increase leaders
NdktS aDOub 10 SO.JU per Gay.
These men are laborers only and not in
any sense skilled workmen. The price of
Is cents per ton, for loading mine run, is
an increase Of 10 per cent. and would in
crease that class of leaders from Sl.S5 to
e.. ID per day. These men, too, are common
laborers only.
Good Enough for Hand Mining.
''The Springfield scale is a very clever
scheme on the part of the hand miners
and operators, aud one which would ben
eft them greatly, while at the same time
handicapping machine mined coal to such
an extent that but comparatively little OF
1t could be sold and but very little work
| would be given to machine employees.
As the Consolidated Coal company Cd.
crates machine mines almost exclusively
| it is in u position to know exactly what
the new scale means, not only for itself,
but for its employees, and will not for q
moment consider it, even if its employees
fail to realize the Significance of the change
of basis proposed