Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1900-02-03
MINERS WAGE SCALE
Being Discussed by Employers and
Employees at Indianapolis
MINERS WOULD FORM A TRUST.

II. l.. Chapman, nm Operator From
ohio. Declares the Men Would Com
troll Every business Interest of the
Country-For Increased Wages.
Indianapolis. Jan. 30.-The first busi-
ness of the joint conference OF miners
and operators was the submission or
the reports of the joint scale commit
tee. The propositions made were prac-
tically the same as nave LeeA pup
lished heretofore. ! he miners demand
ed an advance of 20 cents Per Ton on
q run of the mine basis. The operators
offered an advance of 9 cents per ton
for mining. with the screens remain
ing the same as at present. Another
further condition in this proposition Is
that the state of Illinois, which is now
ON a run of the mine basis, must come
in under a double standard arrange
ment and return to using scroons.
President John Mitchell, of the Mine
Workers, moved the adoption OF the
miners scale. f. II. Robbins, Penn
sylvania operator, moved to amend the
motion by adopting the scale OF the
operators. The matter was then open
ed for discussion.
President Mitchell was the first
speaker. and said that during the past
year the price of coal had been higher
| than for several years. while the cost
| of living to the miners was also higher
without an advance in wages to meet
it. Under this arrangement he SAID
| - IN L
profit. which he thought should be d.
vided with the miners. 90
Mr.. Robbins answered by saying so
or 90 per cent of the coal mined was
contracted for Immediately after an
agreement with the miners had been
reached. and as a consequence the
mine owners profited nothing by the
advance in the market He said that
a run of mine basis would be suicidal
TO the interests of the Pittsburg dls-
trict for the reason that the coal had
TO be carefully mined. because 1t went
to the great lakes and had to be
handled several times in transit, hence
must be gotten out of the mines in the
best possible shape. He added that the
coal had to go -ntO market Where
other coal was met that had been
nlaced on sale at a less cost for min
ing therefore quality was demanded
TO get the advanced price which the
Pittsburg miner was forced to have
Mr.. Robbins then cited the advance II
the wages received by other trades
unions and stated that the average ad
vance was per cent. The miners, NJ
said had received an advance or II
per cent at Chicago and were now OF
fered an advance of If per cent. max
ing total of 81 per cent in the las
three years.
John p. Reese, member OF the min
ers' executive board from Iowa. re
nlied that the facts should not be los
sight of in figuring this average. IN
miners wages had gone lower DURING
the panic than those of any othe
craft. He outlined the attitude OF IN
miners and said they were willing u
discuss the matter dispassionately an
p arrive at a settlement.
The last speaker was II. l.. CHAP
man. of the Ohio operators, who too
the position that the miners were en-
deavoring to form a trust. He said
Il have been in favor of united labo
for the past 20 years, and no man ma
snent more time and labor and pre-
portionately more money than l nav
, in this Joint movement, but | am forc
/ ed to say you are violating the mrs
Z J principle when you attempt to adJour
q sine die at the close of this conference
: so as to head off any other state askln
.
4 is a partnership and should requll
r the consent of both parties for rad
= cal consent of this kinu. Anothe
9 thing. do you know what tbs defens
G fund YOU will attempt to raise means
( II means you will be forced to contr'
every business interest in this country
that YOU will control all of the gre;
- railroad systems on the continent an
. control all of the steamship lines eI
: tering or leaving its ports. 1t NEAR
more. 1t means you will control II
domestic consumption and say wheth'
= or not the poor people or TINS Ian
% have fuel TO cook their humble mea
y with. This will be nothing more
y less than one gigantic trust, and yc
h will be the stockholders.
. The conference then adjourned unit
today
Rarce Foundercd and Two Drown"
= Norfolk. Jan. 30.-News has reach'
- here of the laundering OF the bar'
% Houseman and the loss of two or n
= crew. The barges HOuseman, re
- Hagan and Three Sisters left Norfo
j for Charleston in tow of the tug Pr
=, tector. When off Frying Pan shoa
Il a storm struck tug and tow. II
Houseman broke loose and the hui
u seas caused her to founder two OF q
~ crew going down with the barge. u
&c ting and other barges managed to rea'
MOrehead City. the barges in a M
j. sinking condition.
lie KILLED His wife ana TWO Chiidre
a Cincinnati. Jan. 29.-In an lover t
te Rhine" tenement yesterday Charl
Of Bartruff, tanner, murdered his wi
It. his son Carl. aged 3, and his daug
D. fer. aged g. and then tried to set t
le house on fire by Overturning the h
II stove and piling the furniture on
he The skulls of all the victims we
e. crushed with a blunt instrumel
ce Bartruff remained in the burning roc
We until arrested. He suffered from
81 mentia. The boy Carl was an Il
~ beetle.
Drynn's New England Tour.
r. Providence, Jan 30.-COlOnel Wi
az lam ]. Bryan yesterday began a wee
at tour of New England for the purpt
IT. OF discussing the questions of the d.