The Red Cloud chief., 1897-08-27
THE LEADES RFIRM,
OPERATORS MUST PAY 90
CENTS.
National President R~Strhford Present at
the Pittsburg Conference, Hut Unyisld-
ing In His Purposcs-Ah District Min
Owners To Re Talked to Together.

PrrrsBuRa, Pa. Aug. et-M. ID
Ratchford, president OF the Mine
Workers National union, arrived here
this morning fer the conference asked
for by the Pittsburg district mine OPP
orators and soon afterward he and
Dolan, district p~residen t, and Warner,
district secretary, met the operators
committee composed Of J. c. Dysart.
q. w. Schludenberg. J. n. O'Neill, j.
b. Zerbe. +. NJ. Osborne, U. A. An
drews, w. p. Bonney and w p. Rcnd.
President Ratchford said be wanted
II distinctly understood that he had
never been asked by tho operators to
confer with them. ''The Statements"
said he, that I had refused a confer
cnce Is not correct. am here now at
the request of MIR. Dolan. We will
only agree TO the operators PROPOSE
ton II they will pay sixty-nine cents.
That 10 the lowest rate the miners
will acccp'. II must be sixty.ninc cents
or the strike will be continued until
the demands are granted. II the
Pittsburg operators settle upon our
terms q general conference will not be
necessary"
Previous to the conference a large
number Of operators met In the cor
ridors OF the Monographs house.
Many were opposed to breaking the
strike by importing men and quite a
ibe miners terms. IL was claimed
that II was not the Pittsburg operators
who wanted to compromise or break
the strike. but that It was the large
mine owners and lake shippers.
AN OPEN CONFERENCE.
The conference ended at noon, after
m agreement had been made for a
general conference OF operators and
the miners officials at . o'clock this
afternoon. The miners officials in.
sisted On all the operators being pres.
ent and II was decided to make the
conference an open one.
The operators who had been kept on
the outside were jubilant when this
decision was arrived at. Some said
they would favor the gran ting of the
6s-cent rate at the opening of the con.
ference II II vas seen that the miners
officials would not consent to a com.
promise to let nj the operators who
have contracts based on a 54.cent
mining rate.
from q reliable sourcs IL was learned
shat II the operators start the mines
ON the lines laid down, other mines
will also be started by the miners 1t
is proposed to select operators who
are not represented at the conference
a who are friendly to the miners.
They will be given permission to mine
coal Mt the rate demanded and the conl
stored. by this means it is expected
TO get q fund from the union miners
that happen to be working, and with
'fhts fund pay the expenses OF a fight
against imported labor. The miners
officials are making arrangements to
have a fund on hand to send foreign
labor home just as fast as IL arrives.
With mines operated under the iuris.
dition Of the labor leaders and with
operators who are friendly who rear
"A profit, they hope TO have an avail
able and n large fund This plan has
been outlined and will be submitted
to the national officials II the confer.
snce proves q failure.
The striking miners encamped
about the DeArmitt mines experienced
Less Interference from the deputies
this morning than at any time since
che decision Of the court In the in.
junction proceeding. The campers
were permitted to march In small
groups. but were not allowed to get
within speaking distance Of the work
ing miners. Samuel Young, who is in
charge at Plum Creek, said to Can
tain Uriah Bellingham that no more
arrests would DO made until after a de.
cision In the case Of the Ave men ar.
rested Saturday. Bellingham has
rented q barn at Center. and will have
sfty men CHARTERED there all the time.