The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-04
STRIKE TO END SOON
PROPOSITION FROM OPERATORS AC-
CEPTED BY MINERS OFFICERS.
Coal Diggers Who Suspended Work
Recommended to Resume at Six
ty-Five Cents Ton.
DELEGATES TO MEET SEPT. 8
PROPOSED AGREEMENT,
Which Is to Continue in Force Till
the End of the Year, When Joint
Conferences Will Be Held.
MR. RATCHFORD CONFIDENT
THAT THE PROPOSITION WILL BE
PROMPTLY APPROVED,
And that the Long Struggle Will End
Next Week--POssibIe Opposition
by Pittsburg Miners.

COLUMBUS o.. Sept. 3.-The end of the
great miners strike is in sight. This after
noon the national executive board of the
| United Mine Workers agreed to recommend
| TO the miners proposition from the Pitts
! burg operators for a straight price of 65
| cents ton, to continue in force until the
| end of the year A delegate convention of
| all miners who have suspended work has
| been called to meet in Columbus Sept at
| 10 a. m. to act on the recommendation.
| President Ratchford and the other men,
| bers of the board say there is not the
| slightest doubt but that the miners will ap-
| prove the recommendation. The PROPOSE
! ton does not involve arbitration, and in
| effect provides for an immediate settlement
of the strike.
President Ratchford said tonight that
! there were special reasons for the board
recommending the proposition. In the first
place, it comedies the miners material ad-
vance Had a 69-cent rate been secured he
| was confident it could not have been main
| tanned for more than seventy days The
| proposition does away with all the uncer-
| tainties of arbitration and will bring the
| strike TO a speedy termination. AS soon as
the miners ratify the proposition work Will
| be resumed in all the mines. In the second
| place, the proposition provides for a re-
vival of the joint conferences for the ad-
| justment of prices. The operators are
| pledged to meet with the miners prior to
the termination of the agreement and de-
| termine the rate of mining for the next
| year. Both the members of the miners
| executive board and the operators commit
| tee are pleased over the outcome of the con-
| ference and feel that public sentiment will
! sustain their action.
This rnOrnino Tho oparotore,
renewed their first proposition for a 64-cent
rate pending arbitration. This was again
| rejected by the miners board. Then the
| operators committee got together and sub
! mltted new proposition for a straight
| price of 90 cents, and after a long discussion
it was accepted by the miners board, SUBJ
1ect to the approval of the miners at large
! The following circular was issued tonight
| by the national executive board:
TO the Mine Workers who have suspended
work in the different States:
| You are hereby notified that a conven-
| ton Will be held at Columbus, o., at 10
o'clock a. m. on Wednesday, Sept. g. 1897.
| lumbus, o., on Sept. and 3, between the
| national executive board and district presi-
| dents of the United Mine Workers of Amer
| lea and representative committee of the
! Plttsburg district operators, whom we con-
| sented to meet only after it became appar-
! ent that national conference of operators
! and miners could not be convened, the fol-
| lowing propositions were submitted by the
| representatives of the Pittsburg operators
! to the executive board and district presi-
! dents as the basis of a settlement to ter
inmate the present strike:
"FirSt-The resumption of work at a, ga
cent rate of mining. The submitting of the
question to board of al bitration to deter
mine what the price shall be, the maximum
to be So cents and the minimum to be 60
| cents q ton, the price to be effective from
date of resuming work.
"Second-Straight price of 65 cents ton
| N no and nf
| year. with the additional mutual under
standing that joint meeting of operators
and miners shall be held in December, 1897,
for the purpose of determining what the
rate of mining shall be thereafter.
Your executive board and district presi-
| dents after much deliberation and thor
ough consideration of the two propositions
do recommend the latter as, in their judg-
ment the best that can be secured be-
| cause of circumstances that are apparent
to all who study market conditions since
the inauguration of the strike. You. how
anc must decide for yourselves what your
actions shall be and when work shall be re-
| sumed.
| full report made of the general situation
! at the convention. We would further adj
| wise that delegates come untrammeled by
! resolutions and uninstructed, other than to
act in your best interest At this time it
is deemed advisable for the reason that
| provisions made in the uniformity
] agreement now pending in the Pittsburg
district and which it is expected will be
question Of relative deTentas re befweea eee
| anticipate. do MUCH towards 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 as between machine and pick
mining"
The circular was signed by the members
of the national executive board and dis
| trict presidents, as follows: Fred Dilcher
Stephenson Patrick Dolan, members of the
national executive board; w. f. Farms.
| w G. Knight, Patrick Dolan, district pres
idents; NJ d. Ratchfcrd, president national
| executive board; w. c. Pearce secretary
| executive board.
The State Board of Arbitration of Ohio.
which has been in communication with the
committee of operators and miners union
officials during their conferences, being
asked for an expression about the settle
ment gave this statement: The settlement
is a most fortunate termination of the
strike There has been no question in anv
| quarter that miners wages should be in
creased The only question was how much.
| Considering the difficulties in the way on
both sides in regard TO the adjustment.
whichever proposition be accepted, it is
a very fair and reasonable one. 1t reflects
great credit upon both parties. The opera
tors went more than half way and sacri-
| flee not a little, but this is done generous
| ly and ungrudgingly, with the purpose of
| securing 10 their employees a living wage
and their action is appreciated and met
in a spirit of kindness and fair dealing. We
regard it as foregone conclusion that the
| settlement will be formally ratified on
Wednesday next and see no reason why
work may not be resumed at once. half
| weeks work will thus be saved and