The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-25
COAL STRIKE RESULT IN
FAILURE.
NEITHER SIDE WOULD YIELD.
OPERATORS DETERMINED TO OPEN
THEIR MINES WITHOUT FUR
THEIR DELAY.
RATcHFoRD SILENT AS TO 1T ALL.
No Statement Made by the Miners
Official on the Outcome of
the Conference.

PITTSBURG, 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 not
carry out the plan adopted at the
Cleveland conference and will open
their mines at once. If the old men
will not accept these terms, new ones
will be imported.
At noon the conference between a
committee of coal miners and operators
and national and district officials clos
ed, and the conference adjourned with
out date. The miners representatives
did not recede from their original
proposition to settle the strike by arbi-
tration and start the mines at the 60
cent rate. The operators offered to
divide the difference between the 81
and the SO cent rates, making the price
at which the mines should start 611s
cents per ton. but this was rejected.
Immediately after the close of the
morning conference J. B. Zerbe called
meeting of operators for 2 o'clock
this afternoon to discuss the situation
and outline a plan for future action
The operators conference was in Sc
when the doors were opened it was an
nounced that the mines would certain
ly be started with the old diggers if
possible, with imported men if the old
men refuse to work. A committee was
appointed, composed of representatives
of every firm in the district, to map
out the mode Of procedure for the re-
sumption. This committee will meet
tomorrow morning for this purpose.
The statement concerning the joint con-
ference issued by the operators press
committee tonight is in substance as
follows:
Mr.. Ratchford stated the terms upon which
t tb, miners would return to work. saying that
they would go to work at once on the 60
cent rate being paid until such time as the
board of arb-trators could make an award OF
what would be fair wage rate, any excess
pald to the miners above the award of the
arbitrators to be deducted from the pay of
the miners following the award The OPERA
tors stated their reason why this could not
be accepted. and in lieu thereof submitted
four propositions for arbitration-one that the
men should return to work, leaving to arbi-
traitors what rate shall be paid; one leaving
the question of rate open until after an award
has been made; one that the arbitrators de-
eide within ten or twenty days, the miners
remaining idle. and one that the arbitrator
nave thirty days in which to decide the
miners remaining idle. All these were per
emptorily rejected by the miners representa-
tfves, and the conference adjourned
The proposition of Mr.. Ratchford could not
be accepted because it means an advance of
271a per cent in wage cost and would entail
irreparable losses upon the producers Ami
cable and conciiatory methods having failed
to convince or to move the leaders the re-
sponsibility for whatever privation follows
to the miners and thir families must rest
upon the miners officials.
President Ratchford after the con-
ference, said he had nothing more to
add for publication at this time He
intimated that he was expecting a
lengthy statement from the press COM
mittee of the operators, and if the
statement demanded a reply it would
be forthcoming. He and Secretary
Pearce left tonight for Columbus
President Patrick Dolan said he was
very sorry that no conclusion had been
reached, but declared there was no
other course for the miners to pursue,
but continue the strike with unabated
vigcr
The camp of the striking miners,
which has been maintained for the past
four weeks at Sandy Creek in ordar to
keep the mint rs from re turning to work
in that pit, was broken up this morn
ing and tho seventy men were sent to
their homes. This action was taken
by the miners officials because the
mine there is tightly closed and the
strikers are fully in sympathy with
the movement for higher wages.