The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-30
NO NEARER SETTLEMENT
MINERS AND OPERATORS STILL IN
ABLE To AGREE ON WAGE SCALE.
Both Sides state Their Cases I'm Plain
Language-A Compromise
Predicted.

around TO keep warm. The result was that
few felt like transacting any business and
most of them were too cold 10 even pro-
test at the statements made by the op-
posing speakers. One. or two of the min
ers insisted on breaking In while oper-
ators were speaking in spite of the eff
forts of President Mitchell. who. early in
the session, urged the miners to discuss
the matters fairly and without malice.
Little attention was paid to these Interrupt
tions. however, as Chairman Goble was al
most unanimously upheld in his rulings
while maintaining order.
Immediately after converting the report
of the scale committee was called for and
read, indicating that the two factions were
far apart and with no prospect of getting
any nearer together, because on both sides
the members were "ironcladed" to stick
OUT for certain things. The report said
that the subcommittee appointed by the
scale committee in secret session had
brought back the report that the opera
tors were willing TO grant an increase of
cents ton for screened block coal, with
the machine differential and screens as at
present used. On the other hand the min
ton. the scale to be based on "run of
the mine output, with a fiat differential
of cents for machine work.
President Mitchell at once moved to
adopt the report as based on the demands
of the miners and Mr.. Robbins, of the
operators. amended this so as to adopt
the suggestion made by the operators. Be-
fore the vote several speeches We're made
and the discussion continued until the hour
for adjournment had arrived without any
action being taken to adopt the report of
the committee.
President Mitchell who spoke first, said
he was reluctant to believe that the opera
tors made their suggestion seriously, but
was inclined to believe that they were in
tending to have some fun with the min
ers. There has never been a time," said
he. when coal has been so high, when
living expenses have been high and
when so much coal has been sold as at
present, and II the operators expect to keep
the interstate agreements alive they must
give the miners q fair share of the profits
coming from the production. and sale of the
coal. The machine differential is a live
issue. In Illinois last year more coal was
mined by machine than ever before and
sixty-eight new machines were installed In
the State"
AN OPERATOR SPEARS.
Mr.. Mitchell was followed by F. L. Rob-
bins, of Pittsburg. who. speaking for the
operators, said that although the demand
for coal was better than IL had been for
years. there were but few instances in
which operators had received more money
for their coal. Regarding the run of
mine" system he said that such a propo-
sition In the Pittsburg district would be
suicidal, as most of the Pittsburg coal
went to the lake ports and the North
west and had to be handled many times
in transit and therefore had to be fairly
clean. He said the Pittsburg coal which
was shipped to distant places had to COM
pete with coal placed there at lower rates
for both mining and transportation and
that the only way competition was pos
sible was by shipping better quality of
coal. He also stated that when the old
state law of Pennsylvania compelled the
operators to mine on run of mine"
basis the coal was so dirty that GUS
toners compelled the operators to run II
over screens before they would accept Ii
as run of mine" coal. With regard to the
cents differential demanded by the min
ers. he said: IF the miners who are min
ing with machines can earn more than
those mining by hand, nothing can change
IL. Machinery must stand for itself and
anything that stands in the way must be
run over. II Is not true, however, and no
one dare make the statement. that machine
miners earn more than pick miners" He
then quoted some statistics tending to show
that the increase which the operators were
willing to give was greater than that
granted TO the workmen or any other In
dustry. He also said that the eight hours
day granted two years ago had not helped
the miners to any extent, but has Increased
the cost of coal to the operators about
cents ton.
With regard to the advance of Is cents
a day for outside labor asked for by the
miners, he said the attitude of the min
ers was not in accord with the spirit or
the interstate agreement. He suggested
that the main difficulty was In the fact
that both miners and operators had sent
their committeeman into the meeting bound
to certain things. which made IT impos
sible for any agreement to be reached
"The operators are more TO blame than
the miners in this thing" said he, but
both sides should put men on the commit
tee In whom they repoSe confidence and
send them there unshackled, the more so
because any action they take must be
sanctioned by the joint convention.
Mr.. Robbins was followed Dy John =.
Reese, OF the miners, who said he agreed
with Mr. Robbins that the scale committee
should be allowed to work without instruc-
tons Regarding the statistics introduced
by Mr.. Robbins, he said that If IL were
true that a greater increase had been
offered the miners than any other work.
men, Ii was also true that no other class
of workmen had been so badly cut down
in wages In years past as miners. He said
the cost OF living was higher to miners,
because they were compelled TO buy at
company stores. He said the miners were
not opposed to the Introduction or
machines, but TO the method of operating
them to the disadvantage OF the miners.
He said Ii was true that machine miners
earned as much as pick miners, but 1t was
also true that II required young and
strong man 10 follow after machine
and earn a wage which the oldest and
weakest pick miner could earn with pick
and shovel. He said IL tended TO keep the
old and weak men from earning a living.
Regarding the statement that much of the
operators custom was In contract coal
sold under the present scale of wages.
he said he knew liz TO be true that the
operators would not renew their contracts
until they knew what they would be COM
PEELED to pay this year He called atten-
ton 10 the fact that the miners had kept
faith with the operators, when, by break
ing their agreement. they could have Sc
cured almost any price they wanted. be-
cause the operators Were not in n position
TO stand general strike.
VICE PRESIDENT LEwIS'S VIEWS.
Vice President T. l.. Lewis saId the
offered higher advance than that given
to any other class Of skilled work was
misleading. in that percentages did not
bring out the true facts He illustrated his
ides. by saying that some of the industries
referred to had been working under a scale
S a day, on which sum a 5 per cent. in
crease was a larger concession than IA
per cent would be the wages of
~. 1lrr 81 A..