The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-09-09
A STRAIGHT PRICE OF 65 CENTS
PER TON FOR THE BALANCE
OF THIS YEAR.
Miners WILL DOUBTLESS ACCEPT
miners Executive Board Issued n
Call for a Delegate Conven-
ton to Take Action on
the Proposition.

Columbus, O., Sept. 3.-The end Of the
great miners strike is in sight.
This afternoon the national executive
board of the United Mine Workers
agreed to recommend to the miners Il
proposition from the Pittsburg operators
for straight price of 65 cents a ton, to
continue in force until the end of the
year. ~
delegate convention of all miners
who have suspended work has been
called to meet in Columbus on Septcm-
her 3. at 10 O'Clock, to act upon the rec
ommendatiOn. President Ratchford
and the other members of the board say
that there is not the slightest doubt but
that the miners will approve the recon-
mcndaion. The proposition does not in
vovc arbitration and in effect provides
for an immediate settlement of the
strike.
Mr.. Ratchford said tonight that there
were special reasons for the board
recommending the proposition.
In the first place, it comedies the
miners material advance. Had Il
CD cent rate been secured he was con
ident it could not have been maintained
for more than seventy days. The propo-
sition does away with all the uncertain
ties of arbitration and will be the means
of bringing the strike to n speedy termi-
nation. AS soon as the miners ratfy
the proposition, work will be resumed in
all the mines. In the second proposition,
providing for n revival of the joint con-
ferences for the adjustment of prices, the
operators are pledged to meet with the
miners prior to the termination of the
agreement notwithstanding the rate OF
mining for the next year.
All people, on both sides, are pleased
! and feel that public sentiment will sus-
tain their action.
This morning the operators commit
tee renewed their first proposition for a
Ga cent rate, pending arbitration. This
was again rejected by the miners board.
Then the operators committee got To-
gether again and submitted a new propo-
sition for a straight price of G5 cents,
| and after long discussion it was ac-
| cepted by the miners board. subject to
the approval of the miners at large.
The following circular was issued TO-
night by the national executive board:
''To the Mine Workers Who Have Sus-
pended Work in Their Different
States-Greeting
"You are hereby notified that con.
venton will he held at Columbus, O., at
10 O'Clock on Wednesday, September 8,
1897.
AT conference held at Columbus. o.,
! on September and 3, between the ma
tiOna executive board and district presi-
dents of the United Mine Workers of
America and representative committee
of the Pittsburg district operators, whom
we consented to meet only after it be-
came apparent that,a national confer
ence of operators and miners could not
be convened, the following propositions
were submitted by the representatives Of
the Pittsburg operators to the executive
board and district presidents as the basis
of settlement to terminate the present
strike:
"First-The resumption of work NJ q
GA cent rate of mining. The submitting
of the question to a board of arbitration
to determine what the price shall be. the
maximum to be 60 cents and the mini
mum to be 60 cents ton, the price to
he effective from date of resuming
work.
''Second-A straight price of G5 cents
a ton. to continue in force until the end
of the year, with the additional mutual
understanding that joint meeting Of
operators and miners shall be held in
December. 1897, for the purpose of de-
termining what the rate of mining shall
be thereafter.
"Your executive board and district
presidents, after much elaboration aud
a thorough consideration of the two prop
ositions, do recommend the latter ms in
their judgment the best that can be Sc
cured because of circumstances that are
apparent 20 all who study market con-
ditions since the Inauguration of the
strike
you, however, are the court of final
adjudication, and must decide for your
selves what your actioas shall be and
when work shall be resumed.
Additional reasons will be given and
a full report made Of the general situa-
ton at the convention. We will further
advise that delegates come untrammeled
by resolutions and unrestricted other
than to act in your best interests.
Eat This time it is deemed advisable,
for the reason that provisions are made
in the uniformity agreement now pend
ing in the Pittsburg district, and which
it is expected will be operative in that
district on and after January l, 1898, to
arbitrate the question of relative differ
entails between pick and machine min
ing, which will, we anticipate, do much
towards furnishing Us with more re-