The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-08-25
HOLD OUT FOR SO CENTS
OPERATORS OFFER COMPROMISE
BETWEEN "a AND 80 CENTS.
BUT MINERS INSIST UPON THEIR RATE
Other Propositions Made But Rejected. The
Operators Say They Will Start Their
Mines With New Men if Neces-
sary and Blame Miners.

Pittsburg, Pa, Aug. 24-The final eff
fort to arrange a plan for ending the big
coal strike has proved a failure and the
strike goes on. AT noon the conference
between committee of coal operators
and miners, national and district officials,
closed, and the conference adjourned with
out date. The miners representatives did
not recede from their original PROPOSE
and start the mines at the 60 cents rate.
The operators offered to divide the diff
ference between "a and 60 cents rates,
making the price at which the mines
should start 6115 cents per ton, but this
was rejected. Then additional PROPOSE
tions were made. One was to start the
mines without fixing any price for thirty
days and then to pay the rate agreed up
on by the board of arbitration. This was
also refused by the miners. They claimed
they had been fooled too often to trust
the operators again. They declined to
work for a month, giving the operators
the output for that length of time with
out knowing what wages would be paid.
A proposition was then made to operate
the mines for ten days without fixing
the price and allow a board of arbitra-
tion to fix the price for that time.
President Ratchforu insisted that no.
Thing but the 60 cents rate could possibly
be accepted.
The operators were firm. but the miners
were equally determined and every argu-
ment of the mine owners was met by the
miners leaders.
Neither side would concede another
point and it was dec->.ed to end the con-
ference.
President Ratchford had but little-to
say on the matter, but gave out the fol-
lowing statement:
I'VE have disagreed. Our proposition
remained unchanged. Besides our prop
lOsitiOn to arbitrate we made them a sec
ond one along the lines of bringing about
a general conference of miners and ope-
rators of all the mining States. They re-
fused to lend their efforts in that direc-
| ton and the strike will be continued. We
have no other plans for the future"
Immediately after the close of the
morning conference J. B. Zerbe called n
meeting of operators for two o'clock this
afternoon to discuss the situation and
outline Ian for future action.
The operators were in secret session for
several hours and when the doors were
opened their press agent announced that
the mines would certainly be started
with the old diggers, if possible, with
imported men if the old men refused to
work A committee was appointed, COM
posed of representatives of every firm in
the district to map out the mode of pro-
cedure for the resumption. This com
mittee will meet tomorrow morning for
this purpose.
The operators press committee issued
statement tonight. 1t detailed the sew
eraI propositions made both by the ope-
rators and miners officials, which have
already been described.
Attention is called to the fact that the
operators are confronted constantly with
two f0rces-the pressure of buyers to get
the lowest price, which is determined by
remorseless competition, and by the
miners, who demand the highest wage
rates at all times. The strikers are
warned that they will be responsible for
whatever disasters may follow to them
selves and families.