The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-10-31

Much speculation Is rife as to what
the miners propose to demand fur
ther from the operators when they
come to present the "minor grev-
ances" which the operators agreed to
take up after the men returned to
work.
District President r. ID. Nichols was
interviewed on the matter yesterday
and stated that as far as this district
is concerned only two additional gen
eral demands are to be made. a COM
pliance with the semi-mOnthly pay
law and the maintenance of a check
weighman or check docking boss at
each colliery. Some other local de-
mands may be made by men at diff
ferent cOllieries, but what these are
Mr.. Nichols had no opportunity as
yet to learn.
The miners themselves will pay the
wages of the check weighman or
check docking boss. The former is to
be stationed at collieries which pay
by the ton and the latter where pay
ment is made by the car. His duty
will be to see to it that the miner
gets a just allowance for the coal sent
up. At present the miner has no pro-
lection against injustice that might
be practiced by docking boss who is
dishonest or over-zealous in the COM
panys interests. BY having a repre-
weighing or dumping of the coal this
injustice would be checked.
THE CHECKMAN.
What the operators will do about
the checkman Temains to be seen. but
in the matter of semimonthly pays
they have no choice but to accede If
the men make the demand. One oper-
ator who was spoken to yesterday said
the only objection the operators will
have to the semi-monthly pay is that
1t means two periods of past-pay- day
idleness a month instead of one.
1t also causes inconvenience by rea-
son of the fact that some of the men
do not want their pay oftener than
once a month and do not come in for
it except on the first payday. At one
of his collieries some years ago the
men went on strike for the restoration
of the monthly payday, he said.
All the Ontario and Western COL
lieries. including the Mt. Pleasant
started up yesterday. and now the only
the Forest Mining company at Arch
bald. the Green Ridge Coal company's
slope, at Johnson's Patch, and the
at the Notch"
Negotiations for settlement of the
difficulties which prevent a resumption
Of work at these places are going on
| and it is confidently expected that by
tn G,ct re I, tl,n
be once more at work.
AT GREEN RIDGE.
At the Green Ridge colliery the
trouble grows out Of the employees in
sisting upon having the company make
the advance in wages by reducing
powder to $1.5O per keg and adding two
and one-half cents to the car. The COM
pany did not join with the other opcr-
ators in reaching this agreement and
does not propose to be bound by it. The
company is willing to pay a ten per
cent advance in wages. as the miners
| convention demanded but it is opposed
to paying it on 71h-2R basis.
At the Clark Tunnel the men object
to working under boss named George
Speeder. who they claim does not deal
larry WITH lHenl.
The trouble at Archibald is that the
company has failed to adjust the griev-
ance which was mainly the cause of
their going on strike originally. seven
months ago. This grievance is the
measurement of the ton. For years it
has been fixed at 3,24O pounds. The
men want it cut down to $500 pounds.
The company claims it can not get a
ton of coal out of $500 pounds of the
material the miners send up, and re-
fuses to make the cut
The men also object to the company
giving one man or firm a general con-
tract for all pillar robbing. and want
that this work should be divided among
the regular force of miners. A check
weighman is also insisted upon.
HAD A CONFERENCE.
Yesterday morning Superintendent
Edward Jones had a conference with
committee of the men and at its con-
clusion asked them to put their de-
mands in writing. 1t Is understood he
will take them up with the company
and give the men an answer in the
course of a day or two.
President Mitchell. District President
Fahy, Organizer Dilcher District Sec
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