The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-07-30

Occur In the Future
Pittsburg, July 2s.-The true uniformity
conference of coal operators of the Pitts
burg district concluded it's work tonight
at 9:15 o'clock after a two days session
of close and persistent work. The twen-
ty-one sections of the uniformity agree
ment were thoroughly discussed and
adopted section by section. The best
feeling prevailed throughout the meetings,
the only exception being the boiling of
Colonel Rend at yesterdays session. Just
previous to adjournment however, Judge
Owens announced that Colonel Rend had
authorized him to state that any agree
ment the conference adopted would re-
ceive his hearty cooperation and he
would sign 1t If 95, So or evSn 20 per cent.
of the operators were sincere in their
sanction of it. The conference appointed
a committee of five-W. P. De Armit. J.
B. Zerbe, J. ]. Stoyler, ]. B. Dyort and
N. F. Sanford-with General John Little
to secure the signature of the operators
to the agreement. This committee will
begin it's work tomorrow. It will be aided
by the Ohio board of arbitration. When
the requisite number of signatures have
been secured, another meeting will be
held to ratify the agreement. Speeches
were made by De Armit. Dempster, Little,
Zerbe and others, all expressing satisfac-
tion over the result of the meeting and
predicting the success of the plan.
The agreement as adopted provides for
cash payment of wages: 1000 pounds to
the ton, check weighmen ON the tipples;
miners to be credited with the full guam.
tity of coal contained in the mine car;
abolition of company stores: semi-monthly
uniform min nirO
in the thin and thick vein districts, and
screens not exceeding ~ inches. 1t also
provides that in case of violation of the
provisions and terms of the agreement, a
penalty Of 10 cents per ton on the total
output of coal mined by the violator will
be charged, which penalty is to be paid
to a commission subject to the right of
further arbitration or appeal. Said pen
atty. when collected, is to be distributed
among the signers of the agreement, pro
rata In proportion to the total amount of
the year. The commission is to be chosen
annually and shall be known by the name
of the uniformity commission. It shall be
composed of nine members, the thick and
thin vein operators having proper repre-
sentation. The members shall be sworn
to faithfully and impartially perform the
duties of their office, and will be au-
thorized and empowered to enforce the
judgment and awards. 1t shall also be
empowered to subpoena witnesses with
the same force and effect as a. board of
dI IUltTdtOTS OuIy appointed under the act
of assembly of the state of Pennsylvania
relating to compulsory arbitration. The
agreement shall not become effective un-
less 1t has been signed by IS per cent. of
the operators on or before January 1st,
1888. After 80 per cent. have signed the
agreement, If any fifteen operators shall
be OF the opinion that enough have signed
to render 1t effective, a meeting shall be
called in Pittsburg to declare it in force
The operators with a few exceptions
want 1t distinctly understood that the
passage of an agreement, whereby all
operators are to adopt a similar system
and are to pay the same relative price for
strike. They wish the miners to disabuse
their minds Of any such theories
The operators have also shut out the
miners leaders from taking any part in
the conferences that may take place
through questions arising between the
operators and miners, by inserting a
clause In the agreement stating the COM
mission shall be composed of workmen
employed by the subscribers. Heretofore
the miners officials have represented the
miners, but now the miners are to grap-
pie with the questions in dispute alone
could not be made the basis for arbitra-
ton.
Many firms have taken contracts for a
stipulated period at a fixed price. 1t is
understood that these shall have the
right to supply the product to fill these
contracts at the rate of mining on which
the contracts are based. Here is where
the miners and operators will separate
The attendance at the session today was
not as large as the day previous. Opera
tors from eighty-five railroad mines and
nVe river mines agreed to take part in
the convention, which is a larger per
centage than it was hoped to get together.