Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-01-30
CREATING A TRUST.
Chapman Told Miners They
Were So Doing.
ROBBINS cRIriCIzeD DEMANDS.
Declared the Mems Wages Had Been I'm
creased 90 Per Cent In Three Yeurs.
Mitchell said Miners Should Enjoy
Some of Increased Profits.

iSDIANAPoLls. Jan. 80. - The first
business Of tho joint conference Of
miners and operators was the submis.
sion Of the report of the joint scale COM
mittce. The propositions made were
practically the sainc Nc have been pub
lished heretofore. The miners de-
manded an advance of 20 cents per ton
on run Of mine basis.
The operators offered an advance Of
cents per ton for mining, with the
screens remaining the same as at pres.
ent. A further condition In tte'r prop
osition is that the state Of Illinois,
which is now on o. run of mine basis,
must come in under double standard
arrangement and return to using
screens.
President John Mitchell, of the mine
workers, moved the adoption of the
miners scale. +. H. Robbins, a Penn.
sylvania operator, moved to amend the
motion by adopting the scale of the
operators, The matter was then opened
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 the op.
orators were making good profit.
which he Thought should be divided
with the miners.
He was followed by Mr. Robbins, who
answered by saying 80 or copper cent Of
the coal miued WIS contracted for i'm.
mediately after m agreement with the
miners had been reached, and, as q con-
sequence, the mine owners protited
nothing BY the advance In the market.
He said thatia run of mine basis would
be suicidal to the interests Of the Pitts
burg DISTRICT for the reason that the coal
had to be' carefully mined, because it
went to tho 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 60 into
. market where other coal was met that
had been placed on sale ut less cost
for mining, therefore quality was de.
manded to get the advanced price which
the Pittsburg miner was forced to have,
The miners. he said, had received an ad-
vance OF lS per cent at Chicago, and
were now offered an advance Of IA per
cont. making total Of 80 per cent in
the last three years.
John P. Reese, member Of the miners
executive board from Iowa, replied that
the facts should not be lost sight Of in
figuring this average. The miners
wages had gone lower during the panic
than those OF any other craft. He out.
lined the attitude OF the miners and
said they were willing to discuss the
matter dispassionatelyN and arrive ut u
settlement.
Tho last speaker was II. L. Chapman,
the Ohio operator. He said:
~ hnve been in favor OF united labor
for tho past 20 years, aud no man has
spent moro time and labor aud proper.
nonately more money than have in
this joint movement, but am forced to
say you are violating the first principles
when you attempt 70 adjourn sine die OF
the close Of this conference, 70 to head
of any other state asking admission ut
the next meeting. This is q partner.
ahip, and should require the consent Of
both parties for aradical CONSENT OF this
kind.
Another thing. do you know what
this defense fund you will attempt 10
raise means? 1t means you will be
forced to control every business interest
III this country: that You will control I'LL
OF tho great railroad systems of the con.
tinont aud control all of the steamship
lines entering or leaving its ports.
1T means that you will control the
domestic consumption and say whether
or not tho poor people OF this land shall
have fuol to cook their humble meals
with. This will DO nothing more or
less thui one gigantic trust and yon
will be the Stockholders