The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1900-01-25
MINERS IN A WRANGLE
Operators 0utgeneral the Miners
in the Joint Conference.
TIE IOWA MINERS BARRED OUT.
On the Question of Admitting the
State the Vote Y"' . Tie But
Deciding Vote Fay OrIng Exclusion.


Chairman Boyle, a Miner, Cast the
Deciding Vote Fav orIng Exclusion.
Indianapolis, Jan. 25.-There was a
two hours session yesterday of the
Joint conference between the delegates
from the United Mine Workers Of
America and those from the Interstate
Operators association, and SO much
bad feeling was engendered that 1t was
deemed advisable to adjourn until to-
day to allow the feeling to subside.
The wrangle started when the Gre
dentiaIs committee reported division
on the matter of admitting the dele
gates and operators from the state OF
Iowa, which was decided by the chair
man against the miners, and continued
until Chairman Boyle had called Dele
gate Ryan liar.
Immediately upon calling the ses-
sion to order Chairman Boyle asked
for the report of the committee on
credentials, and Chairman Dilcher re-
ported 1t had been decided that the
states Of Indiana, Ohio. Pennsylvania
and Illinois were entitled to represent
alton in the joint conference. When
1t came to considering the admission
of the state of Iowa there was d.
vision, the members from the opera
tors opposing and those from the min
ers favoring it. The roll call resulted
in tie. The chairman then ANNOUNCE
ed that he was entitled to cast the de-
Gliding vote, and voted no, thus de-
barring the state.
In speaking on the motion to admit
the state Mr.. F. l.. Robbins said he
objected to bringing the state into the
competitive field tor the reason that
at the Chicago conference two years
ago an effort was made to get West
Virginia in and that 1t was defeated
because the state had not been Or
ganiZed. The miners, he said, had vio-
lated their promise to organize this
state, and as result the operators
there were not paying the scale. I'm
der this condition they were able to
mine coal and put 1t on the market
cheaper than could be done in the
competitive field, where the scale was
paid. He added that 1t was not fac
tor in the field and thought it not en-
titled to representation.
These remarks brought President
Van Horn, of the Indiana miners, to
his feet, and he said:
II take exceptions to the statement
made by Mr. Robbins to the effect that
we have not tried to organize in West
Virginia. We have done all we agreed
to do and the state is in better con-
dition than ever before. I think his
statement unfair to the miners be-
cause If he will go back to the Chicago
convention he will find We wanted to
get West Virginia into the compete
tive field and the operators objected
because it had not developed into a
competitor. Now. II you want to ex-
clude Iowa, you make yourselves IL
able to the same conditions that now
exist in West Virginia"
He was followed by Mr.. Chapman,
of the operators, and he by President
Mitchell, Of the miners. Then Dele
gate John P. Reese, of Iowa, said:
"At the meeting in Pittsburg last
year you said to the representation
from Iowa: Go home and get your
operators and bring them into con-
ference with you, and we will admit
Them We are here. gentlemen, with
our operators, and we want to be rec
ognized. Whether you decide to admit
us or not, we will enter into COMPETE
ton with you, and let me ask you, In
event you decide against us, don't say
that you cannot advance the price OF
mining because the competition in the
northwest is too great"
h. w.t. of thu nniftnn
rules and order of business was read
and adopted, amid great confusion.
A number Of miners having taken
umbrage at the ruling Of the chair, be-
gan to leave the hall, and before the
hour of adiourning had arrived half
of them had taken their departure.
The delegation from the various states
were next asked to appoint scale
committee of four members, with four
alternates, each from the miners and
operators.
After these committees had been
named motion was made to allow the
delegates not seated to have seat in
the conference without voice. This
started the trouble. On the roll call
the motion was lost, the miners voting
against 1t, giving as their reasons that
the delegates ought to be admitted to
the full privilege or not at all.
Secretary Ryan then charged Chair
man Boyle with voting AGAINST the
miners on every point, and Boyle call
ed him "damnable liar" A tumult-
nous debate followed, and hurried
adjournment was taken.
Much feeling is shown on both sides.
The operators clearly outgeneraled the
miners In their efforts to get Iowa and
West Virginia admitted, and the min
ers have determined not to give up the