The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-18
MINES ORDERED OPENED.
OPERATORS OFFER TEN GENTS AID
vANoE IN WAGES TO STRIKERS.

It Is Refused. and the Operators Decide to
Throw Open Their Plants to All who Will
work-Rssumption VIII ne Begun by Force
n Necessary-Aar. nanna's Ftrn Hoids Do.
CLEVELAND, O., Aug. 17.-Telegrams were
sent from Cleveland this evening 10 the Penn
sylvania mines controlled by twenty-five Of
the leading coal operators ordering that the
mines be opened and operations be begun I'M
mediately. The operators to take this action
are: Rainbow Coal Company, w. p. Rend, os-
borne, saeRer & Co.. Rhodes s. Beidler Coal
Company. J. d. Sauters & Co. J. W. Ellsworth
& Co., johnson Mining Company, Cuddy
Mullen Coal Company, Imperial Coal Com
pany. Webster Gas Coal Company, Ohio and
Pennsylvania Coal Company, Port Royal Coal
and Coke Company, West Newton Mines. Pick
ands, Mather & Co., E. L. Robbins, ]. II. Somers
Fuel Company, Morgan, Moore s Baine, Char
tiers Black Coal Company, A. c. Saunders &
Co., Walsh Upstill Coal Company, Cannonsburg
Coal Company. Youghiogheny River Coal Com
pany, Moon Run Coal Company, Vulcan Coal
Company, the Ella Coal Company.
This decisive action was taken to-day by the
operators. who were in conference at the office
Of Morgan. Moore & Baine here all OF Monday
and Tuesday. Ninety-eight per cent. of all the
coal operators were represented. The meeting
was called at the instance OF certain
OF tho executive officers OF the Republican
National Committee, who hoped that an
amicable settlement Of the strike between mine
operators and miners could be obtained. The
suggestion Of the Republican managers was
that, IL necessary to secure q settlement, the
operators should make a complete surrender
and grant the 15-cent increase demanded.
Many Of the operators were of the opinion that
the time for the operators to take decisive action
had arrived, and accordingly attended the meet
ing. The statement OF President Ratchford
OF the Mine Workers Union. that no
work should be done in any coal mine until
all the mine operators have acceded to the terms
demanded by the strikers caused some opera
tors who heretofore have awaited pas
sively the settlement Of the difficulties
through arbitration TO act Immediately.
The operators met and resolved to offer the
miners an increase Of 10 cents a ton. making the
price paid g. cents. The miners demand 90
cents. The offer, signed by the coal operators,
was sent to President Ratchford at Columbus.
He gave this answer:
at do not think that the miners will accept
anything less than the 15-cent increase. We
can get Is cents IL we wait. However, l shall
present the proposition to the miners, and 1t will
be given q fair consideration
1t was urged upon President Ratcbford that II
the union would accept the l0-cent offer, 1t
would be a victory for the miners, but this did
not alter his determination.
The conferences thereupon discussed the stu.
alton in all its points. Dan R Hanna and T.. (.
Young. the representatives OF VI. A. Hanna s
Co.. urged the other operators to wait
and not take hasty action. The pre-
vailin: sentiment OF the large majority Of
the operators was against remaining idle any
longer, and by an almost unanimous vote the
operators decided to open the mines Immediately.
The nrm OF NJ. A. Hanna & Co. refused to
abide by the decision.
Tho operators will import new laborers to
their mines. and will. II necessary. employ
armed forces to protect them from any violence
who are willing to go TO work without authori.
zation from headquarters. will bc reemployrd.
e ehe Il su 1i thIasa' Of y the ine @iners IN 'n Certain aiS'p re,
gions, 1t Is likely that comparatively few
Of these can be obtained. The operators
10 cents more than they received at the
time OF the strike. 1t is a rate OF wages. The
operators say. that will make II possible for
even common laborers to earn from $3.50 to
Sl.75. per day. One reason why the operators
would not give the additional, 5 cents asked is
that they have already made large contracts on
the basis OF paying 81 cents for mining:
statement to be presented to the public, which
was signed BY all of the operators named at the
aAn entSusiastIc meeting Of the operators Of
the Pennsylvania mines was held In Cleveland
PtttSbnrE district should be started at once and
operated without further delay.
THE miners have taken the high-handed po-
sition that nothing but an unreasonable price
for mining will satisfy their demand, and have
been unwilling to treat with the operators on
any fair grounds. There is no other course left
open TO the operators at this time.
/" Ii was determined that all coal sold at the
54-cent basis OF mining this year must be mined
at that price, No change in the price OF mining
will be considered until the contracts made at
the 54-cent basis OF mining arc flled and the
uniformity agreement is completed.
AT least three-fOurths OF the tonnage OF
unanimous and agreed TO. II necessary. torcioly
resume operations. with the exception OF NJ. a.
Manager Z. T. Young and Dan r. Hanna OF
the operators should make a united attempt to
notified the operators present that VI. \.
Hanna s. Co. would not agree to stand
settlement on that basis. When i was de:ided
to adopt that plan Mr.. Young withdrew from
the conference, and Hanna & Go. will
not be represented az the next meet
Ing. which will be held at Pittsburg in a
few days. Manager T. +. Young said that Han.
ma & 90. would refuse to make any agreement
with any operators to attempt to force u settle
ment at the 5+-cent rate.
For business reasons he thought IL unwise to
they had decided to force matters. Mr..
Young thought that the operators were some.
what inconsistent in demanding that nc
change be made In the price paid for mining
until the uniformity agreement had been
, had signed Il. He says II they insist that it be
ton IL will look very much like a notice thai
/. they never intend to pay a higher price than tbs
/ 6+cent rate for mining. Manager Young will
r 20 to Pittsburg tomorrow afternoon.