The morning news., 1897-07-29
COAL OPERATORS COMPACT.
UNIFORMITY AGREEMENT ADOPE-
ED BY THE CONFERENCE.

A Committee Appointed to Secure
signatures to the PInn-It Provides
For Payment OF Wages i'm Cash,
Abolition of Company stores ana
Semi-MOnthly Pay DpyS-A Penal
ty of 10 Cents Per Ton For Viola
tiOn of the Agreement.
Pittsburg, Pa, July 2S.-The "true uni
ormity" conference of coal operators of
the Pittsburg district concluded its work
tonight at 9:15 O'Clock, after two-days'
session of close and persistent work.
The twenty-one sections of the unifor-
nifty agreement were thoroughly discuss
ed and adopted, section by section.
The best of feeling prevailed throughout
the meetings, the only exception being
the bolting of Col. Rend at yesterdays
session. Just previous to adjournment.
however, Judge Owens announced that
Col Rend had authorized him TO state
that any agreement the conference adopt
ed would receive his hearty cooperation,
and he would sign it if 49, 50, or even 20
per cent. of the operators were sincere in
the sanction of it.
The conference appointed a committee
of ffve-W. P DeArmit, ]. B. Zerbe, J. j.
Stoyler, ]. B. Dyert and N. E. Sanford
with Gen. John Little-to secure the sig
natures of the operators to the agreement
This committee will begin it's work to-
morrow. It 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 Messrs. Dear
| NIT, Dempster Little, Zerbe and others,
all expressing satisfaction over the result
| of the meeting and predicting the success
of the plan.
The plan of agreement adopted provides
for cash payment of wages; 1900 pounds
to the ton, check weighmen on the tip
pies, miners to be credited with the fun
quantity of coal contained in the mine
car, abolition of company stores, semi
monthly pay days, uniform price for pick
mining in the thin and thick vein dis
| tricts, and screens not exceeding one-half
inches. 1t also provides that in case of
violation of the provisions and terms OF
the agreement, a penalty of 10 cents per
ton on the total output of coal mined by
| the Violator VIII 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 commission is to be chosen annually
| and shall be known by the name of the
| uniformity commission. 1t shall be COM
| posed of nine members, thick and thin
| vein operators having proper representa-
| ton. 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 subpoena
| witnesses with the same force and effect
| as a board of arbitrators appointed under
the act of the assembly of the state of
| Pennsylvania relating to compulsory arbi-
! tration.
The agreement shall not become effective
unless it has been signed by 95 per cent. of
! the operators on or before Jan. J. 1898.
| After 80 per cent. have signed the agree
ment, if any fifteen operators shall be of
| the opinion that enough have signed to
| render 1t effective a meeting shall be call
/ ed in Pittsburg to declare it in force
The operators with a few exceptions
want it distinctly understood that the pas
| sage of an agreement whereby all opera
! tors are to adopt 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 dsabuse 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 op-
| orators and miners, by inserting a clause
| in the agreement stating that the COM
mission shall be composed Of workmen
employed by the subscribers. Heretofore
the miners officials have represented the
| miners, but now the miners are to grap-
pie with the question in dispute alone.
II was decided that present contracts
could not be made the basis for arbitra-
| ton. Many firms have taken contracts
| for a stipulated period at a fixed price
II Is understood that these shall have the
| right to supply the product TO fill these
| contracts at the rate Of mining on which
| the contracts are based. Here is where
the miners and operators will separate.
The attendance at the session to-day
! was not as large as the day previous
| Operators from eighty-hve rail mines and
| five river mines agreed 10 take part IN
/ the convention, which Is a larger per cen
| tage than Il was hoped 10 get together
The operators worked smoothly and few
objections we're raised 70 the agreement
| as written.
There was a close vote on the question
whether the committee 20 be appointed
should be privileged 10 tamper with the
| dimerential IN the thick and thin vein
| regions. Frank Osborne made a motion
! 70 let Il stand as usage and custom had
made a., but w. p. DeArmit argued
that n the dlfferential was fair and Just
none should fear TO have the subject arbi-
trated The vote on the question resulted
IN thirteen to have II settled by a COM
mttee and eleven 10 let II stand as Il is
All the voting was light.