Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1897-08-27
THEOPERATORS' SIDE
THEY TELL THEIR STORY OF TBE
GREAT Strike CONTROVERSY.


Ohio Operators 20 Restrict Pittsburg's
Lake Trade Threaten TO Resume work
With Imported Labor strikers Eirm.
iishurg Aug 25.-The conference OF
Perrsylvania coal operators and the
officers of the mine workers. held In this
city with the view Of settling the strike.
having failed to effect an agreement.
the operators now declare that they
viii start their mines at once The
former employees will It Is announced,
De given an opportunity to return %
WoIk, but unless they do so new men
VIII be imported. The operators have
furnished for publication the following
statement, giving their side OF the con
troversy
The conference committees Of the coal
| operators and the officials Of the miners
| miners were represented by their national
ahO district officers. Operator j. y. Ierh
ana w. 9. Pearce Of the miners secretary
MI Herb stated that it was desired to
bring about settlement Of the strike
Mr, Rntchford stated that he and bis as
sociates were empowered to entertain dis
cuss and decide upon any propositions
the operators tdiEht submit Chairman
Icrbe asked that the question OF inter-
state grcement le waived. and this was
Nj Ratchford tnen stated the terms
| upon which the miners would re-
] turn TO work, say ing that they would DO
80 2 tl orc en- tne 9 GENT Iate being pald
uhtil such time as board Of arbitrators
/ could make an award OF what would be
/ l1r wage rate any excess paid 20 the
/ miners above the award Of the orbitrators
! TO be deducted from the pay OF the miners
| following the award The operators stated
| their reasons why this could not be ac-
propositions for arbitration-one that the
/ men should return to work. leaving TO the
| aro!iratots 20 decide what rate shall be
! open until after an award has been made;
/ one that the arbitraturs decide within 10
| or 20 days the miners remaining idle, and
| which to decide the miners remaining
Ali these were peremptorily rejected by
/ the miners representatives, and the con-
/ ference adjourned
The operators feel that in submitting
! tnese various propositions tor settle
/ inent BY Cancellation or arbitration they
have exhausted every effort In trying to
/ bring about a settlement with the officials
ot the miners. The proposition OF Mr.
/ Ratchford could not be accepted, because
/ II means an advance Of 27ia per cent N
! wage cost and would entail irreparable
! losses upon the producers. The price at
/ which coal contracts have been taken for
] this year were enforced by the conditions
Which ruled the markets IN open compeu-
/ tion from other producing fields. IL should
| be rene mbered that operators are con
! frouted constantly with two fOrces-the
pressure Of buyers to get the lowest price,
/ WHICH is determined by a remorscless
/ competition, ana by the miners, who de-
/ mand the highest wage rates at all times.
| In addition to these two factors is the
| cost of transportation to the markets.
/ AmicaDle and cQnclliatory methods hay
| Ing failed to convince or to move the lead
/ ers. the responsibility for whatever priva-
/ tion follows to the miners and their faini-
| lies must rest upon the miners officials.
! The operators feel that they have ex-
| hausted all honorable means of a settle
| ment Of strike which has entailed so
] "a n
| dependent upon them and which they In
common With the public deplore and
s would gladly change on basis that
would not be disastrous to themselves.
Mr.. Ratchford, president of the United
| Mine Workers has been here and has
not treat with the operators on terms
mat indicate any desire g protect the in
Psfffs ana ds Tfaf Fl m the oav lrer 81 te9
that the operators Of the district had
more than their share Of the trade; that
| some Of IL was being taken from them,
/ and that more would be. He claimed the
/ operator have a larger share Of the lake
! tonnage than they are entitled to and that
| they would not be permitted to retain It.
Ii view Of the fact that Mr. Ratchford
/ lives In Columbus. which is the home OF
| the leading operators Of the Hooking vail
/ trade the Pittsburg operators have to
meet. the position taken by the national
gani1ation IS striking and startling. Com
ing from their national officer and leader
this iS elnEular declaration Tor one who
processes to be anxious for the welfare Of
the Pittsburg district coal disgers.
Rstohford Returns TO Columbus.
President NJ. D. Ratchford was seen
after the conference and said he had
nothing more to add for publication at
this time He and Secretary Pearce
have returned to Columbus.
President Patrick Dolan said he was
very sorry that no conclusion had been
reached Many of the operators seem
to think that it would be humiliation
for them to make concessions" he as
serted "The time TO talk about humlli-
alton IS past. 1 am Of the opinion
that ii the operators had acceded to our
requests, which were certainly fair, they
would not have stamped themselves as
towards, but as gentlemen who are de-
sirous OF doing what Is fair and just
They have absolutely refused to meet
our demands, and there is no other
course for US to pursue. We must con-
tinue the strike with undated vigor"
The camp Of the striking miners
which has been maintained for the past
four weeks at Sandy Creek in order to
keep the miners from returning 10 work
in that pit, has been broken up and the
20 men sent to their homes. This ac-
tion was taken by the miners officials
because the mine there Is tightly clos
ed, and the strikers are fully In sym
pathy with the movement for higher
wages
The campers at Turtle Creek are
very much elated over rumor ahoat
among the strikers that r. B. De Ar
mitt, superintendent Of the Oakhill
mines. went TO some OF the Italian
strikers and offered to pay them half
Of the money they forfeited and 81
cents a ton for digging coal II they
would return TO work This the strik-
ers say is an evidence Of weakness on
the part OF the officials Of the company.
who they claim are apparently anxious
to have the strike settled now at any
price, so that they can get their mines
10 working Superintendent De Armitt
could not be found to affirm or deny
the report.
In the case OF Thomas Deere against
the New York and Cleveland Gas Coal
company to recover wages retained Al
derman S. ]. Toole gave the plaintiff a
Judgment for $4O26. Deere sued for
wages alleged to be due from July Is to
Aug 6. He is one Of the De Armitt
men who Joined the strikers at Plum
Creek. and his wages were declared for
feited under the ironclad contract Suits
for wages have also been entered
against the same company by five 9TH
ers. A hearing win be held by Alder
man Toole next Monday morning at II
o'clock.
LAioutto Wins the Futurity.
New York. Aug. 25.-The Futurity