The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-31
Yesterdays SESSION,
Members of Joint Convention Weary
of Talk, and Suggest Work.

Members of Joint Convention Weary
of Talk, and Suggest Work.
The joint scale committee of the miners
and operators began work anew last night
at the Denison, the result of mo-
ton by President Mitchell, of the miners,
in yesterdays session. that the formation
of a scale be given to the joint scale COM
mittee. with instructions to report some
kind of a scale not later than Thursday of
this week. This was taken to mean that
both sides were willing to allow their COM
mitteemen to attend the meeting free from
all instructions other than purely general
ones.
The entire day was spent In argument
as had been the day before, and it finally
dawned on the minds OF both miners and
operators that nearly all the speeches were
so nearly alike that they became tresome,
indicating that the entire question involved
had been thoroughly handled.
The principal speakers during the day
were Chairman Boyle, President Mitchell
and ]. S. Morton. of Ohio. They first took
the floor yesterday morning, after asking
j. M. Hunter OF the miners. to take the
chair. He said the propositions of the
miners were preposterous, contemplating,
as they did. advances of 104 per cent. for
lump and 146 for machine mining, reckon
ing on the loss in screening. He said this
was unheard of in mining annals, and
that the miners would find that the con-
sumers, who in the end would be compelled
to pay the bill in case the concessions were
granted, would refuse to pay the price de-
al nd he aSlttf no haf he
four competitive States would be left with
out a market.
President Mitchell began by giving some
attention to the speech Of H l.. Chapman
regarding the defense fund. He said the
miners would like to engage Mr.. Chapman
as an organizer because his argument was
the best that could be devised in favor of
the establishment of the defense fund. Re-
garding Mr.. Chapman's statement that he
was friend OF organized labor Mr.. Mitch
ell said the fact remained that Mr.. Chap
mans mines were the only ones in his
own country where the union scale was not
paid. He said the run-of-mine system had
developed large output OF coal in the Hi
nois and West Virginia fields, which are
the largest in the country. He said al
though the output in Illinois in 1899 was
100000 tons over that OF 1885. in Ohio
100000 tons, in Pennsylvania 10 600 900 tons
in Indiana 100000 tons and in the Hooking
valley alone $4,000 tons, and coal had adj
vanced in price from % cents to $40 a ton,
the miners had not been paid any more
money, but had been given to understand
that their improved condition came about
through increased opportunities for steady
work. II don't think can make any
progress by arguing on the floor, and
| think the operators ought 10 get together
| and give a SCALE" said Mr.. Mitchell in
| conclusion.
| ]. s. Morton spoke to the effect that, al
| though * would be possible TO squeeze
| small consumers in order TO raise the price
| of coal sufficiently to grant the miners an
| increase demanded. the thing could not be
| done in the case OF the large corporations
with which the coal operators did business.