The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-01-20
The MINERS SCALE

Now Before the Interstate C0Hven-
ton ofopcrators and aiincrs-Posi-
tion Ofthe Operators.
PITTSBURGH. Pa, Jan. 19.-Thc
morning session OF the Interstate con-
vention of coal operators and miners
was brief. When the convention as
sembled Chairman Dempster announc-
led that the Joint scale committee was
| not ready TO sport and the convention
ladjourned until o'clock this afternoon.
|. At the afternoon session the scale
committee submitted the propositions
made by both sides.
The operators position is as follows:
| In the discussion OF the scale, the oper-
ators favor double standard scale,
uniform screens. That the scale COM
mittee be instructed to stand for the
ten hour day. That the scale price the
! operators shall present to the convcn-
/ ton shall be lifty-six cents per ton. one
and one-fourth inch screen-or n ten
cent reduction. That the scale commit
tee be instructed to insist on areduc-
tion in day wages. corresponding to
reduction. In the pIning rate. That
I'VE agree we will not permit any de-
crease :ins the Edifterentlnl as between
| pick aud machine mininga II anyipor-
tion of3the, competitive field dncluding
| Illinois. Indiana. Ohio and Pennsylva-
Mai secure by strike or otherwise low
cr; prices than those named in the
agreement. all parties to. the contract
shall be accorded like reduction in
prices Of mining. q
Following are the demands of the mi
| ners:
| All coal mined in the competitive dis
! tricts shall be paid for on n pick run Of
mine basis, except block coal Of Indl-
ana. E5I
We ask seven and one-half cents per
ton advance on n run of mine basis on
present prices in Hooking Valley. That
no pillars be cut by machinery.
That the block coal of Indiana to re-
ceivc the use Of the Diamond screen six
feet wide, by twelve feet long, one and
one-eghth inches between the bars, with
n ten cents advance per ton, and scale
on low coal to remnin rs at present.
Machine runners to receive So SO n day
and. helpers 81 % day. Leaders to re-
ceive half Of the price OF the pick min
ing with three cents extra per ton for
hand drilling and receive the same ad-
vance. on the low coal that the pick mi
ners receive. That all other day ma
chine work except the above Is hereby
strictly. prohibited.
That We adopt three-fifths of pick
price for shooting and loading after
machine. for cutting one-ilfth for
punchcr, and onc-cighth for chain ma
chine In Ohio and Pennsylvania: I'LL
R8ls and Indiana shall retain their rel
ativc ratio and division of the same to
be'mnde in said districts. That price In
Indiana be increased three cents per
ton on mine run over adopted scale:
7 that all districts now working under
the scale price be raised to their rela-
tive position. That the diirerentfal for
air and electric drillerS be SIX cents on
Il pick mining basis OF forty cents per
ton, employing company TO furnish nee
essnry supplies. That the limit on all
cars be abolished. That We demand a
uniform rent for company houses OF
not more. than 81 per room per month.
Tint the shearing machine men be paid
pick prices; no differentIal. We recon-
mend the abolishment OF the truck
stores. Both scales were then before
the convention for discussion.
President John Mitchell opened the
| discussion Tor the miners. He advocated
q continuation of the elght-hour work
day and said he hoped the operators
would not insist on n ten hour day. He
spoke OF the work done in West vir-
ginia during the ycnr, saying the or
ganization had been very successful In
boycottins and preventing the sale OF
coal from that state. The statement
that there are only 500 members OF the
miners union in West Virginia, he
said. was incorrect, ns this figure rep
rcsents only the number who have paid
dues into the treasury OF the orsanlza-
ti0n. s:si4; tf.zg
Operator Traer, Of Illinois, said he
spoke the unanimous sentiment OF the
opcratoitaof that stale. There Is no
understanding. he said, MS has been re-
ported, between the operators and min
ers Of Illinois. He told of the nrouds
| made 2on trade by the chenply mined
| West Virginia coal. The boycott, he
asserted, was not effective. He insist
ell that n reduction was necessary to In
sure employment for the miners In the
| four states bound by the agreement.
Discussion or tho scale was continued
until adjournment
| H -