The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-07-29
TRUE UNIFORMITY"
Conferences the Operators ConsIu dsS lie
ssIIioR-AR Agreement Adoptsd-opsr-
tors Want !, undtruIeod that it Has
NothInE TO DO with ths Strike.

true uniformity conference OF coal
operators OF the Pittsburgh district
concluded its work tonight at s'ib
o'clock, after two days session OF
close and persistent work. The twenty
one sections of the uniformity agree
ment were thoroughly discussed and
adopted section by section. The best OF
feeling prevailed throughout the meet
ings, the only exception being the bolt
ing Of Colonel Rend at Yesterdays ses-
sion. Just previous TO adjournment,
however, Judge owens announced that
state that any agreement the confer
ence adopted would receive the colopers
cooperation and he would sign II II %,
90 or even 20 per cent OF the operators
were sincere In their sanction Of 1t.
The conference appointed commit
tee OF flve-W. p. DeArmitt, j. B. Zerhe,
j. ]. Steyler. j. C. Dysart and N. r.
Sanford. with General John Little, to
secure the signatures OF the operators
to the agreement. This committee will
begin It's work tomorrow. II will be
aided by the Ohio board OF arbitration,
When the requisite number or sigma
lures have been secured another meet
ing will be held to ratlfy the agree
ment.
Speeches were made by DeArmitt,
Dempster, Little, Zerbe and others, all
expressing satisfaction over the result
OF the meeting and predicting the sue
cess of the plan.
Proyislons OF Agreement.
The agreement as adopted, provided
for cash payment of wages, 1000 pounds
to the ton, check welghmen on the tip
pies, miners to be credited with the full
quantity OF coal contained in the mine
car, abolition OF company stores, semi
monthly pay days, uniform price Of
pick mining in the thin and thick vein
districts, and screens not exceeding one
and one-haR inches. 1t also provides
that in case OF the violation OF the pro-
visions and terms OF the agreement, q
penalty OF ten cents per ton on the total
output 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 be chosen annually
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
representation. 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 ef-
feet as n board OF arbltrators duly ap-
pointed under the act OF assembly OF
the state OF Pennsylvania relating to
compulsory arbitration.
The agreement shall not become eff
fective unless It has been signed by 95
per cent OF the operators, on or before
January ], 1898.
After 90 per cent have signed the
agreement, il any fifteen operators shall
be OF the opinion that enough have
signed to render II effective, a meeting
shall be called in Pittsburgh to declare
1t in force,
Nothing to DO with the Strike.
The operators, with few exceptions,
want 1t distinctly understood that the
passage OF an agreement whereby all
operators are to adopt a similar sys-
TEN, and are to pay the same relative
price for mining, ha5 nothing TO do
with the great strike. They wish the
miners 60 dlsabuse their minds Of any
such theories The operators have also
shut out the mfners leaders from taxi
ing any part in the conferences that
may take place through questions arls-
Ing between the operators and miners.
By inserting n clause in the agreement
stating the commission shall be COM
posed OF workmen employed by the sub
scrlbers. Heretofore the miners off,
cinls have represented the miners, but
now the miners are to grapple with the
questions in dispute alone.
II was decided that present contracts
could not be made the basis for arbltra-
tlon.
Many firms have taken contracts for
n stipulated period at a fixed price II
Is understood that these shall have the
right to supply the product TO MI these
contracts at the rate OF mining on
which the contracts are based. Here ls
where the miners and operators Will
separate.
The attendance at the session wac
not as large rs the day previous. ODer-
ntorB from elghty-lye rail mlnea and
i've river mines agreed 10 take part In
the convention, which IN larger per-
centnge than II was hoped 20 get to-
gcther
The operators worked smoothly md
few objections were raised 20 the
agreement as written. There was
close vote on the question whether the
commission to be appointed should be
privileged TO tamppr with the dlfferen-
tial In the thick and thin vein regions
Frank Osborne made n motion to lot II
stand as usnge and custom has made It,
but W. p. DcArmltt argued that II the
dlReFeatIal was fair and Just, none
should fcnr to have the subject nrb.
trnted. The vote on the question re-
suited In thirteen TO have II gottled by q
and eleven TO have II stand |
as at present All The voting was Hight. |
Mr.. HoOsnCS almost broke Up the as
BemblnE0 when he moved 10 mike the |
agreement become operative when sew
onty-1yc operators slgn II. Objections
were raIsed 10 this motion ana ], u. |
zcrbc, who acted an chairman, hes,n-
ted to put the motion lIo snld the |
whole agreement would be void and the |
motion was an obstruction The vote |
was then taken aHd resulted In siK to |
make It 40 per cNnt. ana fourteen TO |
make II 05 per cent.
GENERAL STRIKE SITUATION
Not 30 Encouraging from The MintrA'
Standpoint Mass Meeting To-dNy.