The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-15

ever increase is decided on will affect all
States alike in that the amount of increase
will be expected To be added TO the recog-
nized tonnage price of that region. For
instance, IL Kansas miners receive 60 cents
ton and the advance is . cents they
will be expected to receive So cents, while
operators will have p cents added to the
scale price as previously agreed on.
William Fairley, of Alabama. was intro
ducing President Flynn of his State around
the Occidental Hotel last night. Both
agreed that the Alabama miners were "all
right and in better shape than those Of
any other State" This statement, Mr..
Farley said, was made in the face of the
fact that hundreds of convicts worked in
the mines at Pratt City under the lease sys-
tenn.
He said this system was much preferre-
by Alabama miners, TO the system of State
control as adopted in Tennessee, because,
although the system I'm itself was entirely
Objectionable, yet the operators must fur
nish a somewhat fair competition to free
labor in the market when they have to
pay the State a fair figure for the serv-
ices of the convicts. whereas. We're the
State to control them, the output could be
dumped on the market as was the case in
Tennessee, where coal was sold for 40
cents ton. which figure is less than the
wages paid by operators to have the coal
mined by free men. Mr.. Farley said ma
chimes were hardly used at all in Alabama
and the prospect was that scale would
be made with the Alabama operators at
this convention.
MARYLAND ORGANIZATION
The newest organization is that of Mary
land, which has been in existence but three
months. President Allen Barber arrived
last night and reported that the Mary
land miners, who include those Pennsyl-
vania miners who dig in the same vein
of coal which extends from one State to
the other" had tried to secure a joint
meeting with the operators few weeks
ago, but failed. He said the miners had
agreed to ask for an increase of 10 cents
a ton at that time and this becoming
known TO the operators, the latter sent
the miners a circular letter agreeing to
pay the increase beginning April l.
President w. ID. Van Horn, of the In
diana miners, said last night that a con-
ference had been held between the block
coal miners" and the "bituminous miners
OF Indiana Saturday and yesterday and
that the points of difference affecting the
two branches Of work, which are distinct,
had been settled and the demands of the
Indiana men perfected as much Ii would
be possible to perfect them before the con-
vention. He admitted that a fiat differen-
tial for machine work of cents a ton
had been agreed on. He would not say
how much OF an increase would be de-
manded. but from other sources it was
said that 70 cents a ton would be about
the figure. He said the machine question
was vital one only TO Indiana Ohio Illi-
nois and Pennsylvania, in which States
fully three-fourths of the machines are
in use.
Up to last night delegates were present
from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana,
kansas. Missouri, Iowa. Kentucky, Ten
nessee Alabama, Indian Territory and
Maryland. Others are expected from Mich
igan, Arkansas and West Virginia.
HARD COAL MINERS.
The only delegation of hard coal miners
is that from eastern Pennsylvania headed
f. Kelly, of Beaver Meadow They report
that a strike in the Nanticoke region is i'm
minent because Of the refusal of the
coal operators to grant an increase. These
operators. they say, are generally either
the representatives of the large railroad
companies or the companies themselves in
corporated under other names, as, for in
stance. the Lehigh Valley Railroad Com
pany operates its coal mines as the Lehigh
Valley Coal and Iron Company. The Phil
adelphia & Reading Company and the Cen
trail Railroad OF New Jersey operate in the
same way.
If this strike is declared it is said 10000
| miners will be called out. The central
Pennsylvania fields, which are altogether
bituminous, are represented by w. B. Will
son, district president, who says that while
| a general increase is needed and will be de-
| manded, the district is generally in good
| condition.
The Tennessee delegation, which is head
ed by Thomas j. Smith and j. S. Nc
Cracker, president and secretary respect
| lively. is about to make an effort to have
| the Tennessee Legislature do away with
| the State mine at Coal City and base the
| effort on the fact that its operation by con-
Wet labor is standing menace to the free
labor of 10000 miners.