Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-09-04
SITUATION CHANGES.
Now the Mine Strike Locks Like
It Might Soon Be Among the
Things That Are Past.
Observation-Disclosures

Only Needs Favorable Vote Of the Men
Now to End the Strike and Convention
Is Called to Obtain That vote-No Arbi-
tration. But the Men to Go to Work for
6S Cents Untn the End Of the Year-Con-
ference To Re Held in December to Fix
Next Years Prices.
Columbus, O., Sept. 4.-The end of the
great miners strike IS in sight. Yester-
day afternoon the national executive
board Of the Cnited Mine Workers
agreed to recommend to the miners
proposition from the Pittsburg operators
Tor a straight price Of e5 cents a ton to
continue in force until the end Of the
year. A delegate convention of all min
ers who have suspended work has been
called to meet in Columbus Sept. to
act upon the recommendation. President
Ratchford and the oliler members of the
board say there is rot the slightest
doubt that the miners will approve
the Recommendation. The proposition
does not involve arbitration. ard in eff
feet provides for an immediate settle
ment Of the strike. President Ratchferd
said last night that there are special rea-
SONS for the board recommending the
proposition. In the first place 1t con-
cedes the miners a material advance
Had cs-oent rate been secured he was
confident it could rot have been main
tanned for more than sayenty days.
Does Away With Unc ertain Arbitration.
The proposition does away with all the
uncertainties Of arbitration and will
bring the strike to a speedy termination.
AS 500 mas the miners patify the propos-
ition work will be resumed in all the
mines. In the second place the PROPOSE
ton provides for a revival Of the joint
conferences for the adjustment of prices
The operators are pledged to meet With
the miners prior to the termination CT
the agreement ard determine the Fate
Of mining for the next year. Yesterday
morning the operators committee re-
newei their first proposition for a 65-
cent rate pending arbitration. This was
again rejected by the miners officials.
Then the operators committee got to-
gether and submitted a new proposition
for straight price of 65 cents, and after
long discussion 1t was accepted by the
miners board subject to the approval Of
the miners at large.
Boards Circular to Miners.
The Mine Workers executive issued a
circular to the miners stating more elab-
orately the above facts and closing as
follows:
You, however. are the court Of final
adjudication. and must decide for your
selves what your action shall be ana
when work shall be resumed. Addi-
tional reasons will be given and a full
report made of the general situation at
a
wise that delegates come untrammeled
by resolutions. and uninstructed other
than to act in your last interests. At
this time IL is deemed advisable for the
reason that provisions are made in the
uniformity agreement now pending in
the Pittsburg district. and which 1: is
expected will be operative in that dis
trict on and after Jan. /, 1898, to arbi-
trate the question of relative differential
between pick and machine min:rg,
which will. we anticipate, do much to-
wards furnishing us with more reliable
data on that question than we possess
at present, and to that extent will be
beneficial to us in settling questions os
between machine and pick mining"
This Ia signed by the members Of the
national executive board and district
presidents.
Seems To- Be Trouble Ahead.
Rittsburg, Sept 4.-District Secretary
Warner says a call will be issued for a
convention Of the Pitsburg district min
ers and will be called for Tuesday next,
when the delegates to the national con-
vention at Columbus on the Sth inst.
will be instructed. The indications are
that these delegates Will be told to stand
pat for the 6s-cent rate. They hope to
have the support OF the other states in
this because IL the Pittsburg diggers
obtain the advance OF II cents the diff
ferential which has always been an es-
tabiished custom between the several
states will assure to the others a CORE
spending increase in their wages. The
miners individually. judging from talks
with a number of them, consider the
operators badly whipped in the fight
and think they should be glad to COM
premise on even 50 cents.