The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1897-09-07
PROPOSITION.
From the Operators to Be Submitted
to the Striking Miners.
Delegate Convention Of All Idle Miners
Called TO Meet in Columbus. o., Sep
TENDER S-The End of the Strike
Believed to Be in Sight.


Friday afternoon the national execu-
tive board of the United Mine Workers
agreed to recommend to the miners
proposit ton from the Pittsburgh opera
tors for straight price of 80 cents
ton, to continue in force until the end
of the year. A delegate convention OF
all miners who have suspended work
has been called to meet in Columbus
September at 10 a, m. to act
upon the recommendation. Pres
ident Ratchford and the other
members of the board say there is
not the slightest doubt but that the
miners will approve the recommends
ton. The proposition does not involve
arbitration and in effect provides for
an immediate settlement of the strike.
President Ratchford said that there
were special reasons for the board
recommending the proposition. In the
first place it comedies the miners ma
terial advance. Had 69-cent rate been
secured he was confident it could not
have been maintained for more than 70
days The proposition does away with
all the uncertainties of arbitration and
will bring the strike to a speedy termi-
nation. AS soon as the miners ratify
the proposition work will be resumed
in all the mines In the second place
the proposition provides for revival
of the joint conferences for the adjust
ment of prices The operators are
pledged to meet with the miners prior
to the termination of the agreement
and determine the rate of mining for
the next year. Both the members
of the miners executive board and
the operators committee are pleased
over the outcome of the conference,
and feel that public sentiment will
sustain their action. Friday morning
the operators committee renewed their
first proposition for Ga cents pending
arbitration. This was again rejected
by the miners board. Then the opera
tors committee got together, and sub
mitted new proposition for a straight
price of 65 cents, and after a long dis
cussion, it was accepted by the miners
board, subject to the approval of the
miners at large
The following circular was issued
Friday night by the national executive
board:
To the Mine Workers Who Have suspended
Work in the Different States:
You are hereby notified that convention
will be held at Columbus. o. at ten o'clock,
a. m, on Wednesday, September g. 1897
Greeting: At a conference held at Column
bus, O., on September 2 and 3, between the ma
tional executive board and district presidents
of the United Mine Workers of America and
representative committee of the Pittsburgh
district operators, whom we consented to meet
only after it became apparent that a national
conference of operators and miners could not
be convened.
The following propositions were submitted
by the representatives OF the Pittsburgh opera
tors to the executive board and district presi-
dents as the basis of u settlement to terminate
the present strike:
First-The resumption of work at a 64-cent
rate of mining The submitting of the ques-
ton to a board of arbitration to determine
what the price shall be, the maximum to be
SO cents and the minimum to be 60 cents a ton,
the price to be effective from date of resuming
work.
Second-A straight price of Is cents ton to
continue in force until the end of the year with
the additional mutual understanding that
joint meeting Of operators and miners shall be
held in December, 1897, for the purpose of de-
termining what the rate of mining shall be
thereafter.
Your executive board and district presidents,
after much elaboration and a thorough con-
Sideration of the two propositions, do recon-
mend the latter, as in their judgment the best
that can be secured, because of circumstances
that are apparent to all who study market con-
ditions since the Inauguration of the strike.
You, however, are the court of final adjudi-
cation, and must decide for yourselves what
your actions shall be and when work shall be
resumed.
Additional reasons will be given and a full
report made of the general situation at the
convention. We would further advise that
delegates come untrammeled by resolutions
and uninstructed other than to act in your
best interest.
At this time it is deemed advisable for the
reason that provisions are made in the uni
formity agreement now pending in the Pitts
burgh district and which it is expected will be
operative in that district on and after January
l. 1898, to arbitrate the question of relative diff
ferential between pick and machine
mining. which will, we anticipate.
do much towards furnishing US with
more reliable data on that question
than we possess at present and to that extent
will be beneficial to us in settling questions
between machine and pick mining.
The state board of arbitration of
Ohio, which has been in communica-
ton with the committee of operators
and miners union officials during their
conferences, being asked for an ex-
preston about the settlement, gave
this statement:
The settlement is a most fortunate
termination of the strike. There has
been no question in any quarter that
miners wages should be increased
The only question was how much.
Considering the difficulties in the way
on both sides in regard to the adjust
ment, whichever proposition is ac-
cepted it is a fair and reasonable one.
The operators went more than half
way and sacrifice not little, but this
is done generously and ungrudgingly,
with the purpose of securing to their
employees living wage and their ac-
ton is appreciated and met in spirit
of kindness and fair dealing. We
regard it as forgone conclusion that
the settlement will be formally rati-
fed on Wednesday next, and see no
reason why work may rot be resumed
at once.