The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-15

1T MAY HAVE DETERMINING Eff
Feet ON ENGINEERS STRIKE.
Owners Await Results of Miners
Eforts-COncurred Scale Agreement
Wanted - The Glass Strike.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.

TERRE HAUTE. Ind, Nov 1.-THE In
diana coal operators to-day have been
awaiting Developments in the well-under-
stood efforts of the United Mine Workers
to force the Brotherhood of Mine Hosting
Engineers to continue at work at the pres
ent scale until the interstate joint confer
ence of miners and operators in January,
when the miners annual scale of wages is
agreed on, and at which time the scale
for the engineers and other outside mine
labor could be taken up and the scale year
made concurrent for all. The operators are
satisfied to let the miners fight it out with
the engineers. At first yesterday there was
apprehension that the miners would sup
port the engineers TO the end, as they had
entered into an agreement to do, but the
miners are being heard from. and they are
incensed at the new organization of en-
gineers because the 800 engineers in the
State have stopped the labor of 5000 miners
when they We're getting in full time at
work every week. The miners are especial
ly aggrieved because they had no advance
notice of strike from the engineers, and
the failure to give this notice is thought
to operate as a release for the United
Mine Workers from the agreement to sup
bringing upon the miners a complication
with the operators. with whom they had
contracted to labor until next April, with
no condition imposed as to the grievances
OF engineers or any one else. moreover,
most of the miners regard the$I5 month
pay under the present scale, and which
the operators offer 10 continue until April,
as very good wages. 1t is more than the
average earnings of the miners.
President Wilson, of the block coal
miners, says the men in his field are very
impatient under the conditions enforced on
them by the engineers. President Van
Horn, of the bituminous miners, says the
men in his district also are dissatisfied.
That the national board of the United
Mine Workers is at work quietly trying TO
settle the strike there is doubt Ma
tional Committeeman Purcell came here
to-day and went at once to Chief Taylor,
of the engineers. The United Mine Work
ers want TO avoid the issue with the OPP
orators and also want to absorb the out
side labor at the mines-that is, the engi-
neers, firemen and blacksmiths. Last
spring the Indiana United Mine Workers
asked that this labor be included in the
wages contract hut the operators objected.
The argument made to-day to the engi-
neers is that they cannot win strikes or
gain points in wage conferences If they are
alone. The Indiana engineers listen TO this
suggestion with more credence than the
Illinois engineers, who have been under
the organization for more than a year,
while the Indiana engineers have been or
gained for some months only. All the ma
tional officers of the organization are llli-
nois men. Two States only are now organ
lied, but the promoters of the organization
have been expecting to organize Ohio and
other States.
The operators would have preferred that
the different kinds of labor be organized
III separate unions, something after the
manner of the railway labor brotherhoods,
but they will no longer object, il is said,
&c signing a yearly wage contract that
covers all mine labor. The United Mine
r1a., mil
that separate organizations could not ac-
oomplish their respective purposes With
all classes in a consolidated organization,
the miners say, something can be accom-
plished.
Tonight a conference was held between
the United Mine Workers and engineers.
National Committeeman George Purcell,
representing President Mitchell, President
Wilson of the block coal district, Presi-
dent Van Horn and Secretary Kennedy, of
the Indiana bituminous district, represent
ed the United Mine Workers, and Chief
Taylor and Secretary jenkins the Brother
hood of Hosting Engineers. No positive
action was taken, and they will meet again
tomorrow. Committeeman Purcell said
the conference was for the purpose of ar
irving at a better understanding; that the
two organizations had not been together
in ordering the strike, and that it is hoped
that a settlement of the strike in salts
factory manner could be brought about in
day or two
The press report printed this morning
that ten operators had signed the scale
presented by the engineers was mislead-
ing. No operator in the State has signed
for an advance in wages. The ten that
signed own small mines of less than zoo
tons capacity, from which coal is hauled
by wagons, in the Evansville district, with
the exception of two which are in Sullivan
| county. The engineers asked for adj
vance at such mines, and the operators
have simply done what the operators OF
| larger mines offer to do, which is TO pay
| the old rate of wages until January.