The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1897-07-30
CONCLUDED.
The True siformity Conferences Finishes
us Work-Asreement Thoroughly Dis
cussed and Adopted Section By section.


us Work-Asreement Thoroughly Dis
cussed and Adopted Section by section.
PITTSBURGH, Pa, July 29.-The true
uniformity" conference of coal opera
tors of the Pittsburgh district con-
cluded its work Wednesday at 9:15
o'clock, after a two days session of
close and persistent work. The 81 Sec
tons of the uniformity agreement were
thoroughly discussed and adopted Sec
ton by section. The best of feeling
prevailed throughout the meetings,
the only exception being the boiling
Of Col. Rend at Tuesdays session.
just previous to adjournment, how.
ever, Judge Owens announced that
Col. Rend had authorized him to state
that any agreement the conference
adopted would receive his hearty CO.
operation and he would sign it if
$50 or even 20 per cent of the opera
tors were sincere in their sanction of
1T. The conference appointed COM
mittee of five, w. p. Dearmitt, j. B.
Zerbe, j. j. Stoytler, j. c. Dyoart and
N. f. Sanford, with Gen. John Little
to secure the signature of the opera
tors to the agreement. This commit
tee will begin it's work Thursday. 1t
will be aided by the Ohio board of
arbitration. When the requisite num-
Der of signatures have been secured,
another meeting will be held to ratifv
the agreement.
Speeches were made by Dearmit,
/ Dempster, Little, Zerbe and others,
all expressing satisfaction over the re-
suit of the meeting and predicting the
success of the plan.
The agreement, as adopted, provides
for cash payment of wages, 1000
pounds to the ton, check weighmen on
the tipples, miners to be credited with
the full quantity of coal contained in
the mine car, abolition of company
stores, semi-monthly pay days, uni
form price for pick mining in the
thin and thick vein districts and
screens not exceeding IA inches
1t also provides that in case
of violation of the provisions
and terms of the agreement penalty
of ten cents per ton on the total out
put of coal mined by the violator will
be charged, which penalty is to be
paid to a commission subject 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 commission is to pe chosen an
nually and shall be known by the
name of the Uniformity commission.
1t shall be composed of nine members,
the thick and thin vein operators
having proper represen tation. The
members shall be sworn to faithfully
and impartially perform the duties OF
their Office and will be authorized and
empowered to enforce the judgments
and awards.
| 1t shall also be empowered to sub
poena witnessnes with the same force
and effect as a board of arbitrators
duly appointed under the act of as.
sembly of the state of Pennsylvania
relating to compulsory arbitration.
! The agreement shall not become eff
! fective unless it has been signed by 81
per cent of the operators on or before
| January 1, 1898.
After 90 per cent have signed the
agreement if any Is operators shall be
of the opinion that enough have sign
ed to render it effective a meeting
shall be called in Pitts burgh to declare
it in force.
The operators, with few excep-
tions, want it distinctly understood
that the passage of an agreement
whereby all operators are to adopt a
similar system, and are to pay the
same relative price for mining, has
nothing to do with the great strike.
They wish the miners to disabuse their
minds of any such theories
| The operators have also shut out the
miners leaders from taking any part
in the conferences that may take place
through questions arising between the
operators and miners by inserting a
clause in the agreement stating the
commission shall be composed of work
men employed by the subscribers.
Heretofore the miners officials have
represented the miners, but now the
miners are to grapple with the ques-
tions in dispute alone.
1t was decided that present contracts
could not be made the basis for arbi-
| tratiOn.