The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-22
NOT YET ABLE TO AGREE
COAL MINERS AND OPERATORS ARE
STILL FAR APART.
Report Of the Scale Committee So Un-
sitfons Has Been Accepted.

CHICAGO, Jan. 21-After waiting on the
scale committee since Tuesday the deie-
gates to the interstate joint conference Of
bituminous coal operators and miners of
Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois
and the miners of West Virginia received
a very unsatisfactory report. 1t was pre-
sented at this afternoons session and en-
bodied these propositions: 1.-The adoption
of the mine-run or gross-weight system,
and the uniformity of hours of labor. No
mention of an advance in wages was made
! The operators of Ohio, Pennsylvania and
Indiana had fought the adoption of a mine
run system from the start and the votes
taken in committee, as reported to the con-
vention, showed they had stood unit
In opposition to the plan. The report was
accepted by the convention and its consid-
Grafton seriatum was recommended, but it
quickly became apparent that no progress
could be made under the rules governing the
convention, which require an affirmative
vote TO carry any proposition. Finally the
convention was resolved into a committee
Of the whole and the first proposition en-
bodied in the report-the mine-run system,
which is now being used in Illinois-was
discussed under the five-minute rule. OPP
orators and miners of Illinois and miners
from all the other States favored the plan
but the operators of Pennsylvania, Ohio
and Indiana refused to consider the change.
Finally vote was taken on the motion to
adopt mine run, and it resulted: "A yeas,
u nays. This vote, the chair ruled. was a
defeat for the notion
President Ratchford in speaking to the
motion, made the remark that the miners
would demand an increase of 10 cents. He
said he had SuQpaStad tn tho coaIa commit
tee, and would support in the convention
if it became necessary, a measure for the
adoption of a double standard, whereby
either the mine-run or screen system could
be used, at the option of the operators.
President Farms, of the Ohio Mine work.
ers, also recommended this plan.
At the evening session, Operator Robbins,
of Pennsylvania, presented a resolution, en-
Dodying the adoption of a uniform screen
in the competitive fields of IL inch mesh,
flat bar. This plan was discussed at length.
Several amendments thereto were defeated
and the motion went over. 1t is quite evil
dent that it cannot be put through, as sin
gle objection will serve to defeat it. How
the parliamentary tangle into which the
convention has been drawn will end, is a
matter of much speculation. If the proceed
ings this afternoon and this evening are any
criterion, the convention will be unable to
agree on any subject discussed. Patrick
Dolan leader of the miners in the Pittsburg
district, made repeated motions that the
rules be suspended but was declared out
of order. At the close of the evening ses-
sion he called upon the miners to remain in
the hall, but President Ratchford objected
to the plan and withdrew.
When the convention met this afternoon
Secretary Warner, of the scale committee,
read his report as follows: II believe it
was the first day of the committee meeting
that Mr.. Dempster proposed that the basis
of our scale be Sc cents per ton in Penn
sylvania and Ohio This was amended by
Mr.. Morton, of Ohio. that there be a scent
differential between the Hooking Valley and
Cambridge fields of Ohio and Pennsylvania,
with relative differential on machine
work. A substitute was offered that our
scale be based on mine run. This was the
resulted as follows: Illinois operators, aye;
Illinois miners, aye; Indiana operators, no;
Indiana miners, aye; Ohio operators, no;
Ohio miners. aye; Pennsylvania operators.
no; Pennsylvania miners, aye; West Nlr-
ginia miners, aye Total, "a ayes; IL nays.
1.-The next vote was taken upon the
proposition for an eight-hour work day. IL
linoiS operators refused to vote and Penn
sylvania and Ohio operators voted no, re-
sulting, "a ayes, nays.
Ion the proposition for a uniform day
in the competitive field, Illinois operators
again refused TO vote and Pennsylvania
operators voted aye, the vote standing,
20 ayes, nays. 1t was then moved ana
carried that the committee report to the
convention.
The convention accepted the report and
voted unanimously to consider it seriatim.
This was DONE but as noted previously.