The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-12-03
WAS ArHRow Down.
Tha Rnliroad Coal yiinsrs Not Pleased
With The Action of the Miners.

u
PITrsBURGH, Dec. 2,--The railroad
coal miners Of the Pittsburgh district
are anything but pleased with the action
OF the operators In refusing to grant
them their demand for the 60-cent min
lng rate. II was a "throw-down" pure
and simple on the part OF the operators.
Two weeks ago the district officials OF
the miners organization began to re-
ceive opportunities from their constitu-
entf asking for some relief from the low
price OF mining. They took the matter
UP and made o canvass OF the situation.
They were given every assurance by the
operators thnt II was possible to pay the
advance asked, who agreed to make II
good when called upon. Before the
Meeting of the committee OF ten was ar
ranged u Daily News reporter was
shown telegrams and had statements
from several operators to the effect that
the rate would be put UP six cents ton
on the first OF December II the miners
desired 5FieIf
Patrick Dolan. district president OF the
United Mine Workers. said this morning:
Il was never so surprised In my life as /
was when the committee OF ten, on Mon
day refused to officially grant the de-
mand which We made II the operators
had not previously guaranteed to comply
with our request, matters would not
have been SO bad, but to 20 directly back
on their word was unmanly, to say the
least. It Is so palpably unfair when the
condition of the coal market Is taken
Into consideration. All OF the producers
admit that the price OF coal at present
will easily stand an advance of six cents
hin for mining. Contracts that arebeing
booked for the ensuing year will stand
more than that The rate the miners
will demand in the joint convention will
depend entirely upon themselves. That
Is a question for them 10 decide, and
whatever their decision may be, shall
stick with them"
IA Proposition was submitted 20 the
miners officials from Cleveland yester-
day 10 call the Joint convention hurried
ly this week. and name the mining rate
at 67 cents for 1897. The same telegram
stated that IL such action would be con-
sldered the operators would pay 64 cents
for last month and this month of their
own accord, an advance Of ten centa over
the price that has been In force since last
August. No account was taken OF the
proposition. and the joint convention
will be held on the date set, December s..
There Is little doubt that the miners
will ask for 70-cent rate next year, to
become effective on January /, and 1t
would cause no surprise II they put in a
claim for 70 cents a ton.
1t is reported that there will be no
dlfferential established in favor Of the
Hooking Valley, O.. operators during
1897. At present the Hooking Valley
mine owners have a differential OF nine
cents a ton in their favor, and an adyan-
tage Of fifteen cents a ton less, in the cost
of p.oduction, gives them an opportunity
for very keen competition In the lake
markets to the detriment of the Pennsyl-
vania shippers. The leader Of this move
ment to abolish the differentialisa an Ohio
man, whose interests are in Pennsylva-
MIA coal An Informal conference was
held In Pittsburgh yesterday. at which
the matter was discussed. The possibIl-
ity OF lower freight rate to the lake
front and possibly to the northwest will
allow the Pittsburgh operators to get
further into the interior than they have
in the past, and they will make strcnu-
Gus efforts to extend their markets.