Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-01-20

helsrtpd.
Chicago, Jan. eo.-Ll;,ie was don.
yesterday by the conference of opers-
tors and miners row IN session here
Work In the secret conference of the
srale committee is proceeding slowly.
Yesterdays debate hinged prInsiraly
on the eirht-hour question. The min
ers Delegates DID rot insist On the
eisht-hour day. but sought 20 briar
about a plan n uniformity In the mat.
ter % hours throughout Tire soft coal
neld While the operators In sor,e .f
The states would ptefer that the ten
h"nr system In Pennsyhenla and Ill
nois rcmaln In force. they. as q whole.
were whtns to agree upon a cuufrJ-
mise ~ nins hours atur. This much
saincd establishes uniforrity % hsgrs
OF labor and hrinss the committee fase
" face with thc dificuIt troblem -
dinsten,ials. The ngh, which has been
wsged between ohio and pennsyivarla
for years ~ arain before the committee.
ohss amt rvu-~yissuss Withdraw.
To tacilittt" actisn ths oyeraturs frsm
th"se twu states withdrew from the
comml'teo roo,p to try to patch uptheir
asfercncos by themselves so vote cn
any quortl"n havins been taken the
staniing q the cug uittee was a matter
81 Speculation. but q was eonsIasr,d 4
beyond dnuet that urlfrn system %
nise run wuuid be adopted Operators
AMI u,iHsrs "a the Ilunots district ap-
hnintcd committees ~ arrange n sca'e
ot dir"rentiais Or this STATE. which viii
b. presented 90 tire convention far Us
srproVaL Thts matter viii probably
arouse considerable opposition On the
part ~ the Indiana people. whose dif-
t'rentials dsr' rd ~ lasre extent up-
on those obtsinirr ln Illinois.
trrman-nt Arbitration Committee.
IN attempt ~ sVcse the establish-
rcnt "a u rern'ancnt smmittee q coaI
operas'-s AMI riirers II thisstnte a. ar
nitrate hereafter an questions arising
ftom the diffarrntial rates erliveneti the
opening eusssn ~ the Gay The debate
which followed the appeal Tor such a
t,int committee was the warms 81 v his n
has yet disturbed the deI,gates. Pres
kcnt Ratchlord avorsd the motion.
bat snnlr - hfs colleagues took a de-
't'fN =. Ail'A taANliNA " NilAl AfflkfNl tllat
v would ho unjust 20 Indiana and other
states o. per,nit une state O. take s,ch
n step without according the sane yri,-
itgc to u. the other states. A motson
O. tahle thc vote was carried by vote
% "a 10 y, hut under the rules u n nee
efsnry to have unanimous vote to
carry any motion. The hest way out %
the dilemma was % ask nai,ell towrh-
draw hts moNcn ami that was promptly
done
p'rerrutiai- In the rrsirie state.
neSre tho session was opened DairsI
hanisd Batchford a copy 90 n scale of
dlrcrvntial rates and the districts In
which they we're tu te observed. agreed
ur"n by The fllsols Operators. This
srtse viii MT Interfere With the has,s
- wures the scale upon which
the committee In session In the adjs.n-
iar rocm " dlbaJnr. After the morn
ing s1egion the flllnots delegation q.
riirsrs assembled IN the hall ana o.
pointed n cnumittce 20 wsnty-cns del
ernt's tr met the committee % opera
torn we are naiy te meet the hi
nris miners rowmittee az scvn as ex-
rrdi,ut" sad paizeit The operators
~ TIE state have practically agreed
artuur tNrsrtyss upun q scais cf dif-
tsrurtLflB which We have sutrnltte,l %
the ilnu,ss braders."