Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-07-29

claration and appeal issued is an. al
mirable presentation of grievances OF
the strikers. 1t is the voice Of united
labor, he says. and if nothing else re-
suits from the conference the unity
born of the needs of the hour will be a
mighty boon. He calls attention to Aug.
5, which has been set apart as min
ers' day." and calls on the people
throughout the country to assemble
and protest against oppression. He
says: The right Of peaceable assem-
blage and free speech, which has been
suppressed by injunction in West Vir-
ginia and elsewhere, will be demanded
in thunderous tones. The time has
come to call a halt on injunction rule"
"TRUE UNIFORMITY" Is A GO.
Operators at Pittsburg Agree and Will
Try to Put 1t Into Force.
Pittsburg. July 29.-The true uni
formity" conference of coal operators OF
the Pittsburg district concluded its work
last night at 9:15 o'clock, after a two
days session Of close and persistent
work. The twenty-one sections Of the
uniformity agreement were thoroughly
discussed and adopted section by section
The best of feeling prevailed throughout
the meetings, the only exception being
the boiling of Colonel Rend at Tues
days session. Just previous to adjourn
ment, howeveB, Judge Owens announced
that Colonel Rend had authorized him
tc state that any agreement the confer
ence adopted would receive his hearty
cooperation, and he would sign it if 95.
5e, or even 20 per cent. of the operators
were sincere in their sanction of it. The
conference appointed committee of
five-W. p. De Armit, j. B. Zerbe, j. j.
Stoyter, ]. c. Dyoart, and n. F. San
ford, with General John Little-to Sc
cure the signatures of the operators to
the agreement. This committee will begin
its work today. 1t 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 satisfaction over the result of
the meeting and predicting the success
or the plan. The agreement as adopted
provides for cash payment of wages,
700 pounds to the ton, check weighmen
on the tipples, miners to be credited with
mine car, abolition of company stores.
semi-monthly pay day, uniform price
for pick mining in the thin and thick
vein districts. and screens not exceeding
u inch. 1t also provides that in case of
the violation of the provisions and terms
of the agreement penalty Of 10 centsper
ton on the total output of coal mined by
the violatOr will be charged, which pen
atty is to be paid to a commission sub
ject to the right of further arbitration
or appeal.
Said penalty when collected is to be
distributed among the signers of the
agreement pro-rata, in proportion to the
total amount OF tonnage or output made
by them during the year. The commits
sion is to be chosen annually and shall
be known by the name of the uniform
1ty commission 1t shall be COMPOSED
OF nine members, the thick and thin
vein operators having proper represen-
tatton. The members shall be sworn to
faithfully and impartially perform the
duties Of their office and will be author
lied and empowered to enforce the judg-
ments and awards. 1t shall also be en-
powered to subpoena witnesses with the
same force and effect as a board Of arbi-
tration duly appointed under the act of
assembly Of the state of PENNSYLVANIA
relating to compulsory arbitration.
The agreement shall not become eff
fective unless it has been signed by s5
per cent. of the operators on or before
Jan. 1, 1898. After 80 per cent have
signed the agreement, il any fifteen op-
orators shall be of the opinion that
enough have signed to render it effect
i've. meeting shall be called in Pitts.
burg to declare it in force.