New-York tribune., 1897-08-25
THE COAL STRIKE TO 60 ON.
EFFORTS TO SETTLE THE TROUBLE
WITHOUT RESULT,

WITHOUT RESULT.
THE OPERATORS DETERMINED TO RESUME WORK
AT THE MINEs-MINERs STILL CARRY
INC ox MISSIONARY WORK
PittsBurg Aug o4-Thc effort to arrange a
plan for ending the big coal strike has proved
failure At noon the conference between com
nttee Of coal operators and the miners Ma
tlonal and district officials closed. and the con-
ference adjourned without date. The miners
representatives did not recede from their orig
inal proposition to settle the strike by arbtra-
tion and start the mines at the G0cent rate.
The operators offered to divide the difference
between the ~ and 60 cent rates. making the
price at which the mines should start 61is
cents per ton but this rejected. Then ad-
ditonal propositions made. One was to
start the mines without fixing any price for
thirty days. and then to pay the rate agreed
upon by the Board Of Arbitration This was
also refused by the miners. and they said they
had been fooled too often 70 trust the operators
again. They declined to work for month. CIV
ing the operators the output that length OF time
without knowing what wages would be paid.
A proposition was then made to operate the
mines for ten days without fixing the price, and
allow Board NJ Arbitration to fix the price
for tina, time.
President Ratchford inslsted that nothing but
the G9-cent rate could possibly be accepted The
operators were firm. but the miners were
equally determined and every argument Of the
mine-Cwncrs was met by the miners leaders.
Neither side would concede another point, and
it decided to end the conference
President Ratchford made the following state
n,,- finr RI.
mained unchanged Besides our proposition to
arbitrate. we made them q second one along the
lines Of bringing about general conference OF
miners and operators of all the mining States.
They refused to lend their efforts in that direc-
tion. 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 a meeting of opera
tors for > o'clock this afternoon TO discuss the
situation and outline plan for future acton
The meeting was in secret session Tor several
hours When the doors were opened the opera
tors press agent announced that the mines GER
tainly would be started with the old diggers II
possible. and with imported men If the old men
refused to work. committee was appointed,
composed of representatives of every firm in
the district. to map out the mode or procedure
for the resumption. The committee VIII meet
tomorrow morning for this purpose The state
ment concerning the joint conference ISSUED py
follows
The conference committees OF the coal opera
and the officials Of the miners ialled TO
and adjourned finally The miners were represented
by their National and district officers, operator
r. Zerbs was chosen CHAIRMAN OF 'ne
oncc, and ". c. Pearce OF tnc mners secretahS ~,
MIR Zerbe stated that 1t was desired TO brlnS
about h b n h G ns wSre M
TO entertain. discuss and decide upon any propo-
Zerba asked that the question OF interstate agree
rnent be waived and TINS was assentea 70 h,,h
Mr. Ratchford then stated the terms upon "nch
the miners would return to work. saying that they
would DO SO at once the sixty -nine-cent rate
neg pe Gould una MAKE an award Of what would
fair wage rate any excess paid to the miners above
the pa, of the miners following the award The
operators stated their reasons why THIS coud mot not
propositions for arbtration-one that the men
should return to work leaving 70 the rho
heen made one that the arbitraors decide within
ten or twenty days the miners remaining idle and
one that ;he arbitrators nave thirty days N Whiel
were peremptorily rejected by the miners repre-
scntatives and the conference adjourned. -,
o rN fSs Sr 'nai IL y
arbitration thy hase sHfy ha .'of oica Of
the miners The proposition of Mr. RatchtorG
arabic losses upon the producers. me price a. M
Mere enforced by the conditions which ruled the
markets in open competition from other producing
nr"Sc rn SccorfronteJ constantly with two forcesthc
pressure of buyers to get the lowest price m S
ihe miners who demand the highest wage rates at
all times In addition to TN tnesn TorSC ,TC factors Is ''
Amicable and concilatory methods having XIII,
to convince or move the dow raSefs 70 f the miners and
their families must rest upon % ths bsvn ali
honorable means for settlement of strike which
has entailed so much misery upon the miners aiiu a.
those dependent upon them ana whch thef ~, i
cnmmon with the public. deplore, and would gladly
change on a basis that would not be disas'rous !"
themselves.
president NJ d. Ratchford was seen after the
! conference and said he had nothing more to add
for publication at this time. He and secretary
Pearce started tonight for Columbus
The camp OF the striking miners which has
been maintained for the last week at Sandy
Creek in order to keep the miners from return.
ing to work in that pit. was broken up this
morning and the seventy men were sent tc
their homes This action was taken by the
miners officials because the mine there is tlgntly
closed and the strikers are fully IN sympathy
with the movement for higher wages
/ There will be meeting Of Ali the strlKlhe
miners of the Oak Hill mines at O'Clock TO-
morrow afternoon at the camp grounds; "
Turtle Greek. The campers at iurtie Cnees
were much elated to-day over rumOr aHoa'
among the strikers that I. r. De Armitt, super,
intendent Of the Oak Hill mines. went to some OF
the Italian strikers and onered 10 pay the'l
half Of the money they forfeited ana Oi cents d
. ton for digging coal If they would return to
! work tomorrow morning This. the strikers
say is an evidence of weakness on the part oi
! the officials of the company, who. they assert
arc apparently anxious to have the strike settled
now at any price that they can get theii
mines working 49,,
During the day campers succeeded in doine
! considerable missionary work by going about
! in groups OF two. They say that they have
! made number Of converts, and, that oniy
| twentv-fve men were at work in the Oak Hill
| mine to-day The company offsets this claim
! however by saying that as to-day was pay
day at the oak Hill mine. they did not eXpec'
} ae many men out as usual. as some miners
always remain idle on payday.
( CHAOTIC SITUATION AT DUBOIS
+ Dubois. Penn Aug. 2t-The strike situation here
is chaotic tonight The Rochester, London anc