The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-03
WILL NOT MEET HALF WAY.
MINERS INSIST ON 90 CENTS or
NOTHING.

a Rather stormy Session of the En-
ecutive Board of the United Mine
Workers at COIumbus-They Re-
fuse to "SpBt the Difference" with
the Operators and Take 60 Cents
Pending Arbitration-Situati Of
the Strike.
Columbus, O., Sept 2.-The national
executive board of the United Mine Work
ers has adjourned until tomorrow morn
ing without reaching a conclusion on the
proposition of the Pittsburg operators, and
it is impossible to predict what will be
done.
The board had a stormy scene this az
ternoon and there appears to be very
decided difference of opinion among the
members as to the best course to pursue.
The proposition OF the Pittsburg operators
applies specifically to that district, but
in effect all other districts are concern
ed The proposition is that the Pittsburg
miners shall return to work at 64-cent
rate, pending arbitration, the conditions
of the arbitration to be that the rate for
mining shall not be fixed at more than
50 cents a ton nor less than 60 cents. I'm
der such conditions, the miners maintain,
that they would probably not secure
through arbitration more than 65 cents.
Here is where the temper of the Pitts
burg miners has been asserted. They
want 50 cents and there is some doubt
whether they could be induced to accept
less without a vigorous protest and a long
drawn-out controversy. The Ohio miners
want all they can get, naturally, but what
they insist upon most is the maintenance
of the differential of nine cents in their
favor, which they have he'd so long.
Whether any settlement could be secured
through an acceptance of the proposition
of the Pittsburg operators is matter of
opinion upon which the members of the
miners national executive board differ.
They all agree that they cannot act for
the miners, and that the most they can do
is to submit recommendation for accept
ance or rejection. The members of the
board also differ in their opinion as to
how such recommendations should be sub
mitted, whether to a convention of the
Pttsburg miners alone. or to a general
convention.
The repeated assertions of the miners
officials that no settlement would be made
by districts places them in a very en-
barrassing position, and if matter OF
official policy alone were concerned the
present meeting of the board would be
cut very short Some of the members of
the board. however, think that they should
accomplish something before taking final
adjournment, and this is the only thread
upon which action looking toward a set
Element of the strike may be expected.
None of the members of the board will
discuss the situa ton, and the proceedings
of their meetings have been guarded With
the utmost secrecy.
Separate sessions were held tonight by
the national executive board of the miners
and the committee of the Pittsburg opera
tors Both meetings were of uniform ma
ture but that of the miners board was
important The members agreed to reject
the proposition of the operators. 1t ap-
pears that the price to be paid for ma
chine mining Is the principal stumbling
block. The operators offer to pay only
one-half of the price on pick mining for
machine mining and the miners demand
two-thirds That the objections viii be
disposed of is doubtful, however, or If
So whether the other differences could
be settled The miners will offer no
counter proposition and the operators
committee is not empowered to make a
new one.
Another joint conference will be held to-
miners will endeavor to arrive at a more
side demands.