The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-08-25
ULTIMATUM REJECTED.
Operators Will at Once Start Their
Mines.

Pittsburg, Pa. Aug. 24.-At the coal
operators meeting this afternoon the
miners ultimatum to return to work
at the 69-cent rate pending arbitration
was rejected. The operators will now
carry out the plan adopted at the
Cleveland conference, and will open
their mines at once. If the old men will
not accept their terms new ones will
be imported.
The operators conference was 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 dig
gers, if possible, or with imported men,
if the old men refused to work A
committee was appointed. composed of
representatives of every firm in the
district, to map out the mode of pro-
cedure for the resumption.
The press committee of the operators
who participated in the conference, is
sued a statement tonight. purporting
to be an account of the proceedings in
conference. After reciting the several
propositions under discussion in the
conference, and emphasizing the fact
that the miners representatives per-
emptorily rejected all propositions sub
mitted by the operators, the report
says:
THE STATEMENT.
THE operators feel that in submit
ting these various propositions for
settlement, by Cancellation or arbitra-
ton, they have exhausted every effort
in trying to bring about a settlement
with the officials of the miners. The
proposition of Mr. Ratchford could not
be accepted, because it meant an ad-
vance of 271s per cent in wages, and
would entail irreparable losses upon
the producers. The price at which coal
contracts have been taken for this year
were enforced by the conditions which
ruled the markets in open competition
from other producing fields. 1t should
be remembered that operators are
confronted constantly with two forces
the pressure of buyers to get the low
est price, which is determined by re-
morseIess competition, and by the min
ers, who demand the highest wage rates
at all times. In addition to these two
factors is the cost of transportation to
the market.
"Amicable and consiIiatory methods
have failed to convince or to move the
leaders. The responsibility for what
ever privations follow to the miners and
their families must rest upon the
miners officials. The miners officials
having rejected the proposition made
for an agreement, the operators can
only ask the miners to consider the ex-
listing conditions, and ask themselves
whether they are justified in continuing
line of action which is dictatorical,
or are willing to work at a price which
impartial arbitrator must decide Ito be
fair and just under existing conditions
"a board guided by the impulses of
equity and justice, and having the
sympathy of humanity in the scale for
the miners.
IS RATCHFORD a RASCAL?
Continuing, the report attacks Pres
ident Ratchford, of the miners or
ganization Attention is called to the
| fact that he lives at Columbus, o.,
the home of the leading operators of
the Hooking valley" and much stress
| is laid on the current report that the
Hooking valley operators have paid to
| the miners organization more than
500 900 annually during the past four
| wears. Then it is broadly stated that
| the action of Mr.. Ratehford is not
| above suspicion, and it is strongly inti-
mated that the miners officials are act
! ing in league with the Hooking valley
| operators against the interests of the
| Pitdsburg district miners.
No Sympathetic Strike.
I