The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-16
MIR. DE ARMITT' PLAN
-%--
ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO SETTLE THE
STRIKE HIS WAY.
OmeiaIx Believe His Willingness to
Arbitrate Only scheme to Keep
His Miners at work.
THE DIGGERS ENCOURAGED
PRESIDENT RATCHFORD's BULLETIN
SHOWS VAST PROGRESS.
Organizers Going Into West Virginia
Field and Expect 10 bring Out
$4,000 of the $4,000 Men.

PITTSBURG, Pa, July 15.--This has been
day devoted to hard work on the part of
the joint arbitration commission in their
efforts to secure true uniformity in this dis
trict, as suggested by w. P. De Armitt
and ali express themselves as well satisfied
with the progress made. Two of the largest
operators in the district, w. p De Armitt
and Francis l.. Robbins, have consented To
head the list, and the commissioners feel
satisfied that the other operators will soon
fall in line. Ii is claimed by the miners
officials, however, that the understanding
was that the agreement meant So per cent
of the output of the district whereas It is
now said TO mean 50 per cent of the opsra-
tors. They say that it will be absolutely
impossible to get So per cent OF the op-
orators, as there are a great many op-
orators mining on a scall scare President
Dolan said that While he would do all in
his power to assist the commissioners in
securing the signatures of the operators to
the agreement he thought the proposition
was scheme Of President De Armitt to
keep his men at work and proIong the
strike.
General Little, of the Ohio Arbitration
Board, said that every obstacle had been
removed IN the way of d settlement along
the lines proposed and that he had not
heard OF any operators who would NOT
sign Commissioner Edward Ridgl.y ami
Horace Calef, of Illinois, left tor Chicago
this evening TO see Col. w. +. k,cnd and
j. w. Ellsworth, and if possible induce
Colonel Eend to return to Pittsburg and
use his influence among the operators ia
have the agreement signed l.. T. McCor-
mack, OF Indiana, another of the commits
sioners, will leave for Terre Haute to-mor-
cooperation. Mr.. TalIey is a heavy pur-
chaser of Pittsburg coal and president of
the Indiana Operators Association.
This evening the commission sent a tele-
gram to Senator Marx fIanna ASKING him
TO lend his assistance ia having the agree
ment adopted. The situation in the district
among the miners remains unenanged
Foreign coal is beginning 70 cut quite a
figure in the Pittsburg market, and the
miners othcials recognize It's liz portance
1hey are, Tor tile time being, satisfied with
the small amount of coal that is being dug
IN the PIttsDurg district, and from now on
VIII look after what tiIsy. eeTnl outside ell
croachmenta. Much coal being sold IN
the F1ttsDurg market from the ClearIleid
ana Cambria districts. IL is true mat 1t
does NOT come 10 -e4ttsburg, but goes 10 Hn
the contracts maue at tlie great taKes. The
miners are WoskihS At good wages, ana, IL
Is Claimed, are WlIing come. out IL Lrle
Inc men IN tne. -Gie4ifiieid anu Cambria
districts are working unuer Cne delusion
tnat they are not conflicting E,IItt Rae s,u-
eIdl suspension, sad PRESIDENT FalIiCk
Dclan.
AS far as the Pittsburg district proper
is concerned we have every reason to pe
Satlsned with the situation. 1t must be
borne in mind that When but a lew men
are in nine 1t is not fair to class il
Is impossible to produce coal at a pronC in
the large mine with only a few men at
work. 1 have hopes in yet being able to get
the New York and Cleveland men out.
There IS very little change IN the situation,
and It is practically as 1t has been for the
last few days.
The local officials are manifesting much
interest in the situation in Mesr Virginia.
Cameron Miller said to-day that he would
be wiling to wager that oil the ma
ers OF the mountain State would be out De
fore the end OF the week. lie s,lia there
were about twenty-five thousana miners
IN tnat state, ana. IL the oiSauiZers sue
coed in getting fifteen thousand of them
out, the battle could be considered won.
An important feature OF IAe local situa-
ton was the shipment OF SeNeraI hundred
empty cars from the Plttsburg ana chicago
mines on the Wheeling d4vlslon OF the SAL
timore & West Virginia. They will be DAD
ed with coal and sent to the lakes filling
contracts made with Pittsburg operators.
The P1ttSburg operators claim tnat they
were offered coal from all sections of the
country, and had to refuse Il number of
propositions. The prevailing price was 81 so
ton, 10 change being noted from the
quotations of the day previous. The oper-
ators claim that the Enterprise coal and
coke mines on the Charters branch of the
Panhandle and the Bunola mines on the
Moncngahela are running at the 69-oent
rate The latter was recently purchased by
the National Rolling Mill Company at MIC
keoSport, and it claimed to be running tull
According to the miners officials the OPP
orators have closed the company stores all
over the district and supplies to the men
have been cut OFF. This leaves the miners
dependent on the fruits of forage or char
ity. In one or two agricultural commu-
mites where the miners are on strike the
farmers have invited the strikers to or
Sanize committees and send them with a
wagon into the surrounding country to So
lett, rather than contiscate, supplies The
strikers are taking full advantage of tbe
invitation. Quiet reigned to-day through
out the Pttsburg district, a truce SEEMING
peace negotiations.