The record-union., 1897-07-29
THE PITTSBURC
MINERS STRIKE,
Work of the Coal Operators Con-
ference Concluded.
An Agreement Reached for the Adoption Of
True Uniformity.
The Operators, However, Declare
That the Adoption of the
Agreement Has Nothing to Do
With the Settlement of the
Strike, and Wish the Miners to
Disabuse Their Minds of Amy
Such Theories.

Such Theories.
PITTSBURG, July 2S.-The true
uniformity" conference of coal opera
| tors of the Pittsburg district concluded
it's work tonight at 9:15, after a two
| days session at close and persistent
work. The tWenty-one sections of the
uniformity agreement were thoroughly
| discussed and adopted section by sec
| ton. The best of feeling prevailed
! throughout the meeting, the only eX-
! ception being the boiling of Colonel
Rend at yesterdays session. Just pre-
| viOuS to adjournment, however, Judge
! Owens announced that Colonel Rend
| had authorized him to state that any
! agreement of the conference would re-
ceive his hearty cooperation, and he
would sign it if 90, 80 or even 20 per
cent of the operators were sincere in
their sanction of it.
The conference appointed a commit
tee Of five, consisting of w. P. De Ar
mitt, ]. B. Scribe, ]. j. Settler, ]. c.
Disart and N. F. Sanford, with Cen
eral John Little, to secure signatures
VI OpC1dlOIo ~ the agreement. Ills
committee will begin its work to-mor-
row. When the requisite number of
signatures have been secured, another
meeting will be held to ratify the
agreement.
The agreement as adopted provides
for cash payment of wages, 1000
pounds to the ton, check weight men
| in 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, uni
form price of pick mining in the thin
and thick vein districts, and screens
not exceeding one and one-half inches.
1t also provides that in case of the
violation of the terms of the agree
ment a penalty of 10 cents per ton on
the total output of coal mined by the
violator will be charged, which penalty
is to be paid to a commission, subject
to the right of either arbitration or
appeal. Said penalty, when collected.
Is to be.ai@8ribL&ed among the signers
Of the agreement pro rata, in proper
ton to the total amount of output made
by them during the year.
The commission is to be chosen an
nually, and shall be known by the
name of the Uniformity Commission.
! 1t shall be composed of 95 members,
the thick and thin vein operators hav-
ing proper representation. The MEM
berS shall be sworn to faithfully and
impartially perform the duties of their
Offices and will be authorized and en-
powered to enforce judgments and
awards. 1t shall also be empowered
to subpoena witnesses with the same
force and effect as a board of arbitra-
tion duly appointed by the act of the
Assembly of Pennsylvania relating to
compulsory arbitration.
The agreement is not to become eff
fective unless it has been signed by %
per cent. of the operators on or before
January /. 1898. After 90 per cent.
have signed the agreement, if any of
the operators shall be of the opinion
that enough have signed to render it
effective, a meeting shall be called in
Pittsburg to declare it in force.
The operators, with a few exceptions.
want it distinctly understood that the
passage of an agreement, whereby all
operators are to adopt a similar sys-
tenn, and are to pay the same relative
prices for mining, 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 inserting a
clause in the agreement stating that
the commission shall be composed of
workmen employed by the subscribers.
1t was decided that present contracts
could not be made a basis for arbitra-
ton.
The attendance at the session was not
as large as the day previous. Opera
tors from eighty-five rail mines and five
river mines agreed to take part in the
conference, which is a larger percentage
than it was hoped to get together.
The operators worked smoothly, and
few objections were raised to the agree
ment as written. There was a close
vote on the question whether the com
mission to be appointed should be privi-
legged to tamper with the differential in
the thick and thin vein region The
vote on the question resulted in thirteen
to settle by commission and eleven
to stand as at present. All the voting
was light.
Mr.. Hoosack almost broke up the as
semblage when he moved to make the
agreement to become operative when
seventy-five operators sign it, The vote
was then taken, and resulted in six to
make it 10 per cent and fourteen to
make it % per cent.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE CONFER
ENCE.
PITTSBURG, July 2S-The second
days session of the uniformity conven-
tion was an hour late in opening
The operators are rather dazed at the
second attempt to put true uniformity
in practice. All admit that it is
fair, but add it is impossible of accom-
plishment because it is too fair.
On the one side is De Armitt with a
small following. giant in himself On
the other hand are grouped the mass of
operators inimical to anything Mr. De
Armitt might suggest, because he sug-
gests it, and not for the lack of merit
the suggestion might contain
W. P. Rend stands off by himself. but
his interests are so large he is bound