The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-09-03

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Sept, 2,-The ma
tional executive board of the United
Mine Workers has adjourned until to-
morrow morning, without reaching a
conclusion on the proposition of the
Pittsburgh operators, and 1t Is impossi-
BILE to predict what win be done. The
board had q stormy session this after
noon and there appears to be very de-
clded difference of opinion among the
members as to the best course to pur-
sue. The proposition OF the Pittsburgh
operators applies specifically to that
district, but in effect all other districts
are concerned. The proposition is ut
the Pittsburgh miners shall return to
work at slxty-four cent rate, pending
arbitration, the conditions OF the arbi-
tFatIoR TO be that the rate for mining
shall not be fixed at more than sixty
nine cents q ton nor less than sixty
cents Under such conditions the NIL
ners maintain that they would probably
not secure through arbitration more
than sixty-fiVe cents. Here Is where the
temper of the Pittsburgh miners has
been asserted. They want siXty-nine
cents, aud there Is some doubt whether
they could be induced to accept less
without a vigorous protest and a long
drawn out controversy The Ohio mi
ners want all they can get, naturally,
but what they insist upon most is the
maintenance of the difereRtial of nine
cents In their favor, which they have
held so long.
Whether any settlement could be Sc
cured through an acceptance of the
proposition of the Pittsburgh operators
Is meter of opinion upon which the
members of the miners national eXecu
tive board differ, They all agree that
they cannot act for the miners, and
that the most they can do Is to submit
recommendations for acceptance or re-
lection by the craft. The members of
the board also differ In their opinion as
10 how such recommendations should
be submitted, whether to convention
of the Pittsburgh miners alone or TO a
general convention.
The repeated assertions OF the miners
officials that no settlement would be
made by districts places them in a very
embarrassing position and II matter
the present meeting OF the board would
be cut very short. Some OF the mem-
bers Of the board, however, think that
they should accomplish something be-
fore taking final adjournment, and this
is the only thread upon which action
looking toward settlement of the
strike, may be expected. None of the
members of the board will discuss the
eIGuotinn mud tho nrONDp1iDra Of their
meeting have been guarded with the
utmost secrecy
Separate sessions were held tonight
by the national executive board of the
miners and the committee Of the Pitts
burg operators. Both meetings were OF
an Informal nature, but that OF the
miners board was important. The
members agreed to reject the PROPOSE
tion Of the operators It appears that
the price to be paid for machine min
Ing Is the principal stumbling block
The operators offer to pay only half the
price on pick mining FOR machine min
ing and the miners demand two-thirds
Were this objection disposed of It is
doubtful, however, whether the other
differences could be settled. The min
eTS will offer no counter proposition
and the operators committee IL not
empowered to make new one An
other totnt conference will be held to-
morrow morning and both operators
and miners will cndeavor to arrive nt
q more perfect understanding of lust
what each side demands. A member ol
the miners board stated tonight he
thought some step might yet be taken
toward settlement, but had no definite
idea along what lines II might be.