Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-11-22
AN IMPORTANT MEETING.
To Be Held by Pennsylvania Miners
Good News Expected.

To Be Held by Pennsylvania Miners
Good News Expected.
Pittsburg Dispatch.
When the miners district convention
meets in a couple of weeks the officials
will probably have some good news to
give to the delegates 1t is likely that by
that time the situation in the Pittsburg
district will be such that a restoration,
in part at least, of the mining rate Will
be announced. If the matter is not IN
definite shape by that time the JOINT con-
vention of operators and miners IN De
cember will adjust higher rate Oh
wages.
Secretary William II. Warner is the
authority for the statement that the IN
dications are excellent for hlgher wages
before long. When the change would be
made he could not say, but 1t VIII be pc
fore the next wage scale Is liked. Inc
situation. he said, is more favorable at
present for the miners than for long
time and the operators have overcome
the disposition so common formerly 10
obstruct any advance in the cost OF pro-
ducing coal.
The convention at Bridgeville today,
called by Vice-President Wilson in an
unofficial way, is giving the dlstrlct ON
GERS some concern. The call Tor the
meeting was ratified by seven of the pest
local unions in the district, and If the
convention is able to accomplish any
thing there may be trouble in the district
organization. -,
one of the leading members in the viz
tuai revolt against the legal authority OF
the district says the locals embraced III
the call are the bone and sinew OF the. dl s.
trict organization. They are machine
miners. and will try to adjust the ques-
tion between machine and pick mining IN
their own way, or open proceedings That
they expect viz Ultimately work TO 'heif
advantage on that point.
The river miners of the Fourth pool
will also hold a convention today at
Monongahela City, to discuss wages ana
fix a rate. The river miners nave NOT
been organized in more recent years ana
the district officers are not apprehenslVe
of what they may do or their infieunee
in the district. Taken together, the Two
conventions are not what the district OF
ficials would like to see. Secretary war
ner says the miners action is unreason-
able. and will not result with advantage
to themselves or distinct harm to the
district officials.
"The whole trouble" said Secretary
Warner, lis over the old yexatious ques-
ton of machine mining, and its compe-
tition with pick mining. Since mining
machines came into use there has al
ways been trouble in adjusting the wages
between the machine cutters and load
ers, and the men in pick mines. opera
tors and miners have tried to fix up an
but nothing so far has been satisfactory
to either side. That is the cause of the
dissatisfaction among the Panhandle
miners.
"They hold the district officials respon-
shle for a matter beyond our individual
control. We have kept the matter con-
stantly in view and have been working
every possible point to secure an equita-
bile state between the two classes of min
ing. We have not accomplished much
because the machine operators as well
as the pick operators and the miners
In each case have been unable to agree
upon a basis that would satisfy every
body.
Labor saving machinery has come
into every trade and has made big diff
ference in mining. The machine mine
operator naturally objects to the estab-
lishment of a differential that cuts him
off from the advantages which the in
Yention of the machine and the invest
ment of large sums of money in its OPP
Grafton should bring. Some operators
and miners, too, say the differential
should be greater, and smaller, than the
present rate of one-half A machine will
mine as much coal as eight men, How
can we expect the machine operator to be
willing to pay almost as much for min
ing as the operator whose coal Is mined
by hand? The trouble will remain and
be as vexatious until the picks are driven
from the trade entirely by machines"
Secretary Warner said further the min
ers may expect some advance in wages
before long unless all the present indi-
cations fail. The date for the joint con-
Vsntion will be about December g.