Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1897-07-28
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NOISSHS Nj SHOLvHHdO


resented at the coal operators uniformity
meeting here today. The operators who
shipped by river and those ow1ing. mines
in the Westmoreland region Gvere rot
present. The rlver operators held
meeting. at the coal exchange this MORN
ing and declared to take no part in the
uniformity m'se Ting this afternoon No
autention was paid to the cal by the
Wastmoreland operators Very liute
was accomplished at the meeting. The
new uniformity agreement, with a few
nsw clauses inserted, was reported by the
eomms.tes. 1t is expected that COM
mittees will be appointed to draw up
clauses to fit the points at issue.
wv. p. Rend presented minority re-
port on the agreement denouno.ng the
purpose of the meeting in severe terms
and bolted the conference
Colonel Rend took the minority report
with him and Colonel Desapster decided
that as Colonel Rend hed left the meet
ing and taken the report with him 1t was
not part OF the session and could not
be acted upon.
Colonel w. P. Dearmitt said that he
wanted it distinctly understood that the
call to adopt Uniformity did not have
anything to do with the strike as he did
not propose to arbitratel anything while
under fire nor admit the operators were
cowards.
D. w. Anderson advised that the re-
, port of the committee be taken up ad
Sereatim
An effort was made to do this, but the
operators did not seem to grasp the text
of the agreement, SO ]. r. Seerb moved
that the agreement be printed over night
and copy placed in the hands of each
operator by morning. This was carried
unanimously.
W. p. Murray called the conference to
order ait 1920 a. m. by nominating Alex
ander Dempster for permanent chairman.
Col w. p. Rend named w. Schulenberg,
but he declined, and Mr.. Dempster was
chosen to- preside. Gen. James B. Dole
was named for vfce-president. He ma de
short address, aging the board was
here as citizens and had no personal in
terest in the coal business. The men,
bers hope by conelliation and concessions
to bring about an agreement between the
contending lines.
Sectional lines have nothing to do with
this affair" he said. 1--WE have power
right here to settle this controversy AS
Pdtsburg goss SO goes the United
States"
After election of officers of the meeting
committee was appointed to take up
the proposed uniformity agreement and
report to the conference at 8 c'ccck The
committee consisted cf w. P. Desrmitt,
George P. Schlsudberg, Thomas Brown
W r Rend, w. p. Black, U. A. Andrews,
James Armstrong and +. M Osborne
recess was then taken until 8 O'Clock,
AIT O'clock the committee asked for
another hour and the conferences took
recess until O'Clock, when the commit
tee reported on this. agreement proposed
by the visiting arbitrators.
1T was moved that it be adopted when
Colonel Rend demanded recognition for
minority report. He said he had been
misled by General Little as to the pur-
pose of this meeting. He understood
that it had been called with view of
Fastening a settlement of the strike and
was assured of that at conference with
the General on Monday night. When he
got to the meeting he learned that the
strike was not to be taken into discus
sion or consideration in the uniformity
agreement. The prea mble of the reso-
luton recites the earnest desire of the
coal operators of Western Pennsylvania
to devise honorable methods for bring
ing the strike to an end, deplores the pow
erty and misery of the vast army of
miners and their families and claims the
public have been misled by crafty and
false statements as to the causes re-
sponsible for the present and past tur-
moil. .,t.tt
The resolutions follow:
Resolved that we favor a speedy ad-
justment of this strike and all questions
and controversies connected Herewith by
conciliation employed in a joint confer
ence of miners and their employers, and
that failing, by ar adjudication by tri-
bunal of arbitra 5rs composed of three
United States judges or three other gen.
tlemen of national repute, and in whom
the entire country can repose condolences.
"Resolved that we favor the principles
and practice of uniformity in its true and
honest sense, but we are unalterably Op
posed to it in the false and perverted
sense in which it has been used to cloak
sham crimes and transparent frauds.
RESOLVED that we favor true and hon
est weights and measures, cash pay
lf1tc md n n ct n h 10
methods in the prosecution of the coal
business.
Resolved that we denounce as a foul
falsehood and as glaring outrage the
charges and insinuationS SO often pub
licly made that operators have prac-
ticed fraud in weights and measures in
the mining industry of Western Pennsyl-
-vania.
"Resolved that the efforts to fasten on
the public mind these slanderous and
atrocious stories is a moral crime and
we denounce the author of this accusa-
ton as moral criminal violating Gods
holy commandment. Thou shalt not bear
false witr against they neighbor.'
"Reeolved. That VIZ are ready and will
ing to advance the wages of miners, but
find ourselves unable 70 do this to the full
extent demanded by them, namely, 25 per
cent. above the prices we paid prior to
the strike and now being paid by one OF
the largest coal companies in western
Pennsylvania, which company presents
ithe chief obstacle to ltfle settlement of the
present Conflict"
After the resolutions had been read the
chairman asked to have some portinos
eliminated, but Col Rend refused em-
phaticalIy to allow a single word 10 be
altered and withdrew from the confer
ence.
The meeting sthsn adjourned until 10
o'ciocb top-orrow.
Among those present were j. Selwyn
Owens, Secretary Bishop and Gen. John