The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-29
AGREEMENT ADOPTED
HARMONIOUS ACTION OF PITTSBURG
DISTRICT COAL OPERATORS.
"True Uniformity Discussed fo- TWO
Days, and Plan Acceptable to
All FinaIINaAgreed To.
FEATURES OF THE SCHEME
MANY OF THE EVILS COMPLAINED OF
BY MINERS ABOLISHED.
Col. Rend willing to Cooperate, Not
withstanding His BOIt-Strike Sit
uatiOn Not Encouraging.

PITTSBURG, July 2S - The true uni
formity' conference of coal operators of the
Pittsburg district concluded it's work to-
night at 9:i5 o'clock, after a two days ses-
sion of close and persistent work The
twentv-one sections of the uniformity
agreement were thoroughly discussed and
adopted section by section. The best of
feeling prevailed throughout the meetings.
the only exception being the boiling of
Colonel Rend at yesterdays session. Just
previous TO adjournment however Judge
Owens announced that Colonel Rend had
authorized him to state that any agreement
the conference adopted would receive his
hearty cooperation and he would sign 1t
if 80, so or even 20 per cent. of the operators
were sincere in their sanction of it. The
conference appointed a committee of five
w. P. De Armitt, j. B. Zerbe, J. J. Stoyt-
Ter, J. c. Dyoart and N. F. Sanford-with
Gen. John Little, to secure the signatures
of the operators to the agreement. This
committee will begin it's work tomorrow.
1t will be aided by the Ohio Board of Arbi-
tration. When the requisite number Of sig
natures have been secured another meeting
will be held to ratify the agreement.
Speeches were made by De Armitt, Demp-
ster Little, Zerbe and others, all express
ing satisfaction over the result of the meet
ing and predicting the success of the plan.
The agreement as adopted, provides for
cash payment of wages, two thousand
pounds to the ton, check Weighmen on the
tipples, 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 for pick mining
in the thin and thick-ven districts, and
screens not exceeding one and one-half
r al bat in of
violation of the provisions and terms of
the agreement a penalty Of 10 cents per
ton on the total output of coal mined by
the vioIator 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 dis
tributed among the signers of the agree
ment 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 au-
thorized and empowered to enforce the
judgments and awards. It shall also be
same force and effect as board of arbitra-
tors duly appointed under the act of the
Assembly of the State of Pennsylvania re-
lating to compulsory arbitration. The
agreement shall not become effective unless
it has been signed by 95 per cent. of the
operators on or before Jan. 1, 1898. After
so per cent. have signed the agreement, If
any fifteen operators shall be of the opin-
ion that enough have signed to render it
effective, a meeting shall be called in Pitts
burg to declare it in force.
The operators, with a few exceptions,
want it distinctly understood that the
passage of an agreement whereby all op-
orators are to adopt a similar system and
are to pay the same relative price for min
ing has nothing to do with the great strike.
They wish the miners to disabuse their
minds Of any such theories. The operators
have also shut out the miners leaders from
taking any part in the conferences that
may take place through questions arising
between the operators and miners, by in
serting a clause in the agreement stating
the commission shall be composed of work.
men employed by the subscribers. Here
tofore the miners officials have represented
the miners, but now the miners are to Crap
pie with the question in dispute alone.
1t was decided that present contracts
could not be made the basis for arbitration.
Many firms have taken contracts for stip-
ulated period at fixed price. 1t is under
stood that these shall have the right to sup
ply the product to fill these contracts at
the rate of mining on which the contracts
are based. Here is where the miners and
operators will separate.
The attendance at the session was not as
large as the day previous. Operators from
eighty-fve rail mines and five river mines
agreed to take part in the convention,
which is a larger percentage than it was
hoped to get together. The operators
worked smoothly and few objections were
raised to the agreement as written. There
was a close vote on the question whether
the commission to be appointed should be
privileged to tamper with the differential
in the thick and thin vein regions. Frank
Osborne made motion to let ii stand as
usage and custom had made it, but Mr.
De Armitt argued that if the differential
was fair and just none should fear to have
the subject arbitrated. The vote on the
question resulted thirteen to have it settled
by commission and eleven to have it
stand as at present. All the voting was
light.
Mr.. Hoosack almost broke up the assem-
blage when he moved to make the agree
ment become operative when seventy-five
operators sign it. Objections We're raised
to this motion, and J. B. Zerbe, who acted
as chairman, hesitated to put the motion.
He said the whole agreement would be void
and the motion was an obstruction. The
vote was then taken, and resulted in six to
make it IS per cent. and fourteen to make
it 95 per cent.
~