The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1900-02-01
NOT YET AGREED.
Il Is Thought, However, That Miners
and Operators Are Drawing
Closer Together.

Indianapolis, Ind, Jan. 27.-At the
conclusion of the conference of the
joint scale committee from the Mine
Workers and Operators associations
Friday afternoon the two were nearer
together than at the close of the pre-
ceding session. There has not been
concession on either side, but better
feelingis established and the workings
are mere harmonious. The position of
the operators and the miners is just
the same as it was. The operators are
a unit in refusing the run of mine de-
mand of the miners and the miners
are a unit in holding the position as
sumed at the first meeting.
The time of the secret meeting was
taken up in discussing the proposition
in all of it's phases, and strong points
were brought out on both sides. The
Illinois delegation is most persistent
in this demand, and one of the opera
tors said an agreement in the states
of Ohio, Pennsylvania and Indiana
could be reached much easier with Illi-
nois out. The operators who are here
from that state say the technical de-
mands of the miners have become very
burdensome, and state in so many
words the organization in the state is
money. Operators also say that with
over 100000 in the district treasury
and as much more in the various To-
calls they are in position to hold out
fer any demand they see fit to make
and will delay the fixing of a scale
longer than they would under differ
ent circumstances. On the other hand,
the miners think the position they
have taken is as reasonable as that of
the operators and put forth good argu-
ments in support of the demands they
are making.
The operators are here to concede
an advance in wages. This much has
been admitted by men prominent in
the organization, who consider the
first miners demand as unreasonable.
At the opening of the conference it
was very evident the miners had de-
cided to recede from their first posi-
ton and ask the operators what con-
cessions they would make. This was
tc have been reported back to the del
egates and further instructions asked.
All efforts to draw the fire of the oper-
ators were, however, unsuccessful.
AS the matter now stands the dead
lock of last night is practically in
force. Until the run of mine matter
is disposed of no other issue can come
up for consideration. 1t is absolutely
necessary to get this out of the way
before the amount of the advance per
tor can be figured or the differential
rate even considered. There will be a
session at ten o'clock this morning.
Illinois is the only state that is ex-
clusively on the run-of-the-mine basis,
or which pays its employees for I'M
screened coal. The miners several
years ago secured a run-of-the-mine
basis in Illinois, and this year they
had determined to extend the same
condition to the other three states. In
the joint scale committee meeting
they found the operators combined
against them, not only to prevent an
extension of the run-of- the-mine basis
to other states, but to restore screens
in Illinois.
A vigorous warfare of words result
ed. w. ID. Ryan, leader of the Illinois
miners, threatened that if the opera
tors pursued their intention to re-
store screens in Illinois all of the Illi-
ncis miners would go out on strike
and would do what they could to ex-
tend the strike to other states. The
operators announced their determine
rion to stand by Illinois in restoring
the double standard. Miners of Ohio,
Indiana and Pennsylvania expressed
themselves as thoroughly sympathetic
with the Illinois miners in resisting
the double standard, and they said
That they would rather go home with
ont an agreement than to fail to Sc
cure the entire adjustment of screens
in their own states.