Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-09-14


Company to Open Mines To-day.
Other Mine News.
On next Thursday at two o'clock, at
the Trades Assembly hall, conference
Of the operators and miners OF this dis
trict will be held to arrange for the
settlement of the strike on the 65-cent
basis, and for the men to return to
work This was the result of the dis
trict miners meeting held yesterday
afternoon. The action of the Columbus
convention in accepting the 65-cent
compromise was unanimously endors-
ed. Nearly all the unions Of the dis
trict were represented and all the dele
gates expressed themselves as being
satisfied with the settlement.
Secretary Anderson will send out to-
day letters to all the district operators
inviting them to be present at the
conference on Thursday. Secretary
Anderson was in doubt whether all the
operators would attend. 1t is deemed
probable that some of the operators
may refuse to start as union mines
and may object to taking back some
of the former employees who were out
with the strike. Secretary Anderson
expressed himself as being more unsat-
isfied about the operators being opposed
to employing the old men than they
are to accept the 65-cent scale. Unions
were established during the strike,
at every mine of the district, and the
maintenance of these local organiza-
lions is considered distasteful and de-
cidedly Objectionable to certain opera
tors. However, if they refuse to take
back their former employees and pay
the rate compromised on at Columbus,
the local leaders will endeavor to force
them to come to this agreement event
ually by all the means in their power.
They are confident of being able to do
this, having not only the national or
ganization back of them, but also sew
eral other leading labor organizations
the representatives of which promised
at Columbus to do all in their power
to induce the operators to pay the 65-
cent rate if the miners accepted it.
The local miners have all along sup
posed that all the operators of this
district would readily pay the scale
price, which would mean, under the
compromise, Sc cents for West Virginia
owing to the differential, but have no
positive assurance of the fact. This
can only be definitely known, one way
or the other, when the convention on
Thursday is held and after the opera
tors have expressed themselves. 1t is
sincerely hoped among all classes that
the operators will meet the miners
half way and agree to start their mines
at the rate conceded by the larger
operators. The miners have retained
popular sympathy by showing a spirit
of arbitration and the public generally
demands of the operators a similar
disposition.
The miners are not permitted to re-
turn to work before ten days in order
to give the miners everywhere a chance
to effect a settlement with their en-
ployers. Last night meetings we're
held by all the various unions through
out the district to appoint committees
to confer with the mine owners. The
miners at Benwood held a somewhat
stormy meeting last night. They re-
ceived a notice that the Wheeling Iron
and Steel Company would throw open
its mines for work to-day and that all
employees who did not go to work could
consider themselves discharged. This
information was conveyed by the su-
perintendent of the mines. The min
ers, however, promptly voted to abide
by the Instructions of the organiza-
ton and not to go to work until the
ten days had expired. Secretary An
derson was present at the meeting. and
after it was over expressed himself to
Register reporter that the Benwood
miners would not be bulldozed' by
any such threats and would not permit
them to have any effect with their
course.
AN ADDRESS OF THE COMMITTEE.
The Needs of the Miners Greater at the