The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-07-27
ARBITRATION.
The Great Meeting of the Mine
Operators
And the Labor Commissioner
Of Various States
BEGINS AT PITTSBURG
Organization is Perfected and
Committee Named.
Hanna's Man There With Spec
ial Instructions.

Pittsburg, July 27.-The long looked
for conference of the Pittsburg coal
operators which the joint arbitration
commission fully expects to adopt
plan which Will settle the big miners
strike was called for IL o'clock this
morning in the court house, but owing
to the slowness of the operators to
gather, it was almost noon before it
was called to order. 1t is the largest
meeting of the kind ever held in this
district. The convention being an
open one miners officials and many in
terested citizens were on hand as spec
tators.
The operators present who represent
practically the entire district are:
DR.. B. Frank Schmid, labor commits
sioner of Indiana; Judge Selwyn vow
ems, Secretary Bishop and Gen. John
Little, of the Ohio board of arbitration;
George w Schluedberg, representing
the Francis L Robbins interests; Alex
Dempster, of the Bower Hill and Spring
Hill mines; w. P. Murray of Pickands,
Mather & Co, E. Sager and Frank M
Osborne, of Osborne, Saeger & Co., w.
R. Wilson of Ridgeway, Bishop & Co.,
A. w. and Thomas E. Young, represent
ing NJ. A. Hanna & Co.; Col w. P. Rend
of Chicago, w. P. and Thomas De Ar
mitt, representing the New York and
Cleveland Gas Coal company, William
Beading of Beading Bros; J. c. Dy-
START, OOuIl NeWdll Oh y. W. flISWOrln
& Co., c. w. Hitchcock, A. C. Saunders,
D. W. Van Eman of the Pittsburg and
Chicago Gas Coal company, George and
John Hosack, Frank Armstrong; w j.
Steen, E. n. Wildman, J. w. Allies, w.
Black, r. NJ. Dressb BACH James Arm
strong, F. Mansfield Coal company, j.
Wesser of the Lake Shore Coal COM
pany, William Dinker of the Eureka
Coal company, D. M. Anderson, J. W.
Blower of the Equitable Coal company,
William Shinn, Edward Boyle of Boyle
I2rNA- II III l1eN5,, III
vile opera tor, John Blythe, of the
Blythe Coal company, ]. J. Streitler, of
the sl2Pe SGf Nh Mining rSe 9empaTg
which is being urged by the arbitra-
ton commission is the only one pre-
sented for action by the conference.
While the operators generally, are
apathetic and have little faith in the
successful consummation of the COM
missions wish, they are anxious to dis
cuss and adopt some plan which will
put the miners to work. True uniform
ity calls for cash payments for every
weeks, abolishment of company stores
and a uniform screen.
The dffferential between the thick
and thin vein coal and between Ohio
and Pennsylvania coal may also come
the thin vein coal say the IA cents diff
ference in favor of thick coal is too
much and some go so far as to say
it should be cut one-half. This if at
tempted will be fought by the thick
vein operators and may be the first
rock on which the conference, will
split, as all the other points mentioned
have been granted in forem conferences
There are 106 railroad mines in the
Pittsburg district and these are opera
ted by SO firms. Thirteen of these are
said to mine and control almost 80 per
cent of the coal mined in the district
The ambition of the arbitrators and
w. P. De Armitt, the father of the uni
formity agreement, is to have 50 per
cent of the SO operators to agree to
adopt a system or standard of doing
w. P. Murray called the meeting to
order al 11:3O a. m. by nomna ting Alex
Dempster for chairman. Colonel w. P.
Rend named George w. Schleudberg,
but he declined and Mr.. Dempster was
chosen 10 preside.
General John Little was chosen vice
president. He made a short address
saying the board was here as citizens
and had no personal interest in the coal
business. They hope by Cancellation
and mediation to bring about a settle
ment between the contending factions.
State lines have nothing to do with the
question. You have the power here
to settle this controversy. As Pitts
burg goes, so will go the the other
states.
After electing Marshall H. Reno sec
retary of the meeting a committee was
appointed TO take up the uniformity
agreement, revise it to suit the changed
conditions since its first formulation
and report to the conference at 3
o'clock.
The committee consists of w. P. De
Arfnitt, George w. Schleudberg, Thos.
f. Young, w. P. Rend, D. P. Black, U.
A. Andrews, James Armstrong and F.
NJ. Osborne.
A recess was then taken until 3
o'clock.
Parkersburg, w. Va, July 27.-The
miners DIN the Monogah region have
gone out en- masse and news from the
southwest and the Great Kanawha val
ley is that the miners have banked on
Governor Atkinson's good will and
struck. There is great excitement.
Cleveland, July 2I.-Mr. Thos. Young
representing NJ. A. Hanna has gone to
Pittsburg with instructions to use every
effort to bring about a speedy settle
ment of the strike. All the Cleveland
operators are hopeful that the confer
ence will result in some satisfactory
adjustment.