Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-11-29

Columbus. O., November 28.-Secre-
tary Patrick McBryde has addressed
am open letter to the coal operators of
Ohio which will be of interest ell over
the country, it having reference to the
meeting Of the operators to be held here
tomorrow, when the demands of the
miners for cash payments instead Of
orders on the company stroes viii be
considered. He begins by stating that
on the result Of the deliberations of the
committee OF operators depends the
peace AID tranquility not only of Ohio
but perhaps of the entire country.
The prJce for mining is based on a
contract which provides that the price
TO be pad ia the Hooking Valley in
Ohio shall be fifty-One cents. based on
sixty cent rate i'm the PiJtsbuTg thin
vein. and that any change in the latter
must be met with a corresponding
change i'm the Ohio rate. This differ
enual is claimed to be the important
pant of the agreement enetered INFO last
summer and upon it the miners base
their claim for q cash rate. The let
ter reviews the different disputes be-
tween the cOuteuding parties over
period of eight years. and points out
That during that time the dinerenual
has always been adhered to. The cir
cuwsances of the long strike OF 1893
and the final surrender by the miners
were also reviewed, but the fact that
the dinereutial was sustained is per-
sisteutly pointed out
lit appears that the decentralization IN
the Pittsburg district OF last year con-
tiuuel after the general suspension was
over and when I'm February tine miners
found that fact out. a strike of twelve
weeks followed. but which ended In the
defat of the miners. lJ is Well known
that during this strike the Pittburg
oDorat0rs demanded that tle ulueieh-
tial be wiped out
The cause of the establishment OF
the dinereutial was the Interstate
commerce act which made it Impossible
for one district to successfully COM
pe-e with another situated nearer the
market. owing to the difference ln cost
of TRANSFORMATION. To sell pre- fa--0n
the miners insisted on this plan and
subsequent results have pro e1 I--1
correctness of their reasoning
Since 1887 up to October last the op-
/ orators of the Pittsburg district, with
-bree executions had stores or deduct
ed from the miners earnings Tor
+ stores.
The condition I'm Ohio today is the
same as I'm 1887, so that -he dlueren,.al
was established with the stores IN the
pirtsburg q strict I'm existence, and so
long as there IS place in PltlsDuIg
that dc5ucts for stores, just so long
should there be the d.nerenda. OF nine
cents based on that price. The demor-
qUzqicn that has existed in the Pitts
/ burg district for the last few years mas
had an injurious effect on the miners
of Ohio and anything chat tends to give
stability 20 the P.usburg trade ought
TO be encouraged. The evil was found
/ .n the stores. this being admitted 10y ali
concerned and there could be no st2bll-
| i,y untl the store evil was removed.
The PtsDWg miners agreed to- allow
five cents per J0n between mines haylnFi
stores and those not having them, and
20 doing this. the basis between The twc
States was not changed, as the eta5-
+ Hslmont of cash basis more than
eQuaIled the five cents.
Ohio under .ts present condition is
now paying q siX,y-cen- rate and Pitts
| burg sixty-four cents, therefore the
dineren.ial is still maintained.
The recent decision Of judge Little as
arbitrator is reviewed. The writer dis
/ agrees with the d-ding, but gracefully
submits. The miners make the point,
however that OHIO operators who have
stores DO not come within the finding Of
Judge Little, which sustained the exist
/ ing rates and they ask that the dideren-
tai Of five cents be allowed between
/ Ohio mines having stores and those hav-
. ing none. [, is generally believed that
| there is more resting en- the decision
than appears on the surface. but an ey-
/ PRECISION could no, De obtained from the
] rrrfra oIffafnnc