The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-11-29
EaE COAL SITUATION,

The Operators Meeting TO-IRy -SccTe-
tary AICIITydV Addyrssss M Open Letter
TO the Ohio OpUratOrs-A Crisis to lie
Met,
CoLuMBus, o., Nov, 2S,-secretary
Patrick McIIryde has addressed an
open letter to the coal operators of Ohio
which win be OF interest all over the
country, 1t having reference to the
meeting Of the operators to be held
here tomorrow, when the demands of
the minors for cash payment Instead OF
orders on company stores VIII be con-
sldered. He begins by stating that on
the result of the deliberations of the
committee of operators depends the
peace and tranquility not only OF Ohio,
but perhaps OF the entire country.
The price for mining Is based on n
contract which provides that the price
Ito be paid IN the Hooking Valley In Ohio
shall he 81 cents, based on q 6O-cent
rate In the Pittsburgh thin Vein, and
thnt any change In the latter must be
met with corresponding change In the
Ohio rate, This dIfferentIal is claimed
10 be the Important part OF the agree
ment entered into this summer, ana
under It the miners base their claim for
the cash rate, The letter reviews the
different disputes between the contend
Ing interests over period OF eight
years, and points out that during that
time the dlfferentlal has always been
adhered to. The circumstances OF the
long strike OF 1899 and the final surren-
der OF the miners were also reviewed,
but the fact that the dlfferentinl wa5
sustained is persistcntly pointed out.
II appears that the demonstration In
the Pittsburgh district OF last year con-
tinued after the general suspension was
over, and when In February the miners
found that fact out strike of twelve
weeks followed, but which ended In
the defeat at the miners, II Is well
known that during the strike the Pitts
burgh operators demanded that the dlf-
,ferentisl be wiped out.
The cause OF the establishment Of the
6lfrerential was the interstate com
mercc act. which made II impossible
for one district to successfully compete
with another situated nearer the mar
ket, owing to the difference In cost OF
production. In self preservation the
Iplners insisted on this plan, and sub
seduent results have proved the cor
rectness OF their reasoning
Since 1857. up 10 last October, the OPP
ratOrs Of the Pittsburgh district, with
three exceptions. had stores or deduct
ed from the miners earnings for stores.
The condition in Ohio to-day Is the
same as In 1851, so that the differentlal
was established with the stores In the
Pittsburgh district In existence until
the store evil was removed. The Pitts
burgh miners agreed 10 allow five cents
per ton between mines having stores
aud those not having, and In doing this
the basis between the two states was
not changed, ns the establishment OF n
cash basis more than equallcd the flve
cents.
Ohio under its present condition Is
now paying n sixty cent rate and Pitts
burgh slxty-four cents, therefore the
dIfferentlal Is stlll maintained.
The recent decision OF Judge Little MS
arbitrator. Is reviewed. They disagree
with the finding. but gracefully submit
They make the point, however, that
Ohio operators who have stores do not
come within the finding OF Judge Lit
tie, which sustained the existing rates
and they ask that the dlrerentinl Of
five cents be allowed between Ohio
mines having stores and those having
none. II is generally believed that
there Is more resting on the decision
than appears on the surface, but an eN-
preston could not be obtained from the
mine officials.