Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-01-25

afternoon on the joint conference be-
tween the delegates from the United
Mine Workers of America and those
from the Interstate Operators Associa-
ton, and so much bad feeling was en-
gendered that it was deemed advisable
to adjourn until 8 o'clock tomorrow
morning, to allow the feeling to SUBJ
side.
The wrangle started when the cre-
DENTAL committee reported a division
on the matter of admitting the dele
gates and operators from the State OF
Iowa, which was decided by the chair
"a against the miners, and continued
until Chairman Boyle had called Dele
gate Ryan a liar.
Immediately upon calling the session
to order, Chairman Boyle asked for the
report of the committee on credentials,
and Chairman Dilcher reported that it
had been decided that the States of In
diana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Illi-
nois were entitled to representation in
the joint conference. When it came to
considering the admission of the State
of Iowa, there was a division, the mem
bers from the operators opposing and
those from the miners favoring it.
The roll call resulted in a tie.
The chairman then announced that
no roc anfit1aI - oao& ~ Ioofdtn-
vote, and voted no, thus debarring 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 for the reason that at
the Chicago conference two years ago,
an effort was made
To Get West Virginia In
and that it was defeated because the
State had not been organized. The
miners, he said. had violated their
promise to organize this State and. as
a result, the operators there were not
paying the scale. Under this condi-
tion they were able to mine coal and
put it on the market cheaper than
could be done in the competitive field
where the scale was paid. He added
that it was not a factor in the field
and thought 1t not entitled to repre-
s~entation. 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 we
have not tried to organize in West
Virginia. We have done all we agreed
to do, that State is in better condition
than ever before.
Il think his statement unfair to the
miners because IL he will go back TO
the Chicago convention he will find
we wanted to get West Virginia into
the competitive field and the operators
objected because it had not develop
ed into a competitor. Now IL you
want to exclude Iowa, you make your
selves liable 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 Delegate
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 a confer
ence with you and we will admit them
I'VE are here, gentlemen, with our
operators and
We Want To BE Recognized.
Whether you decide to admit us or not,
we will enter into competition with
you and let me ask you. in event you
decide against US, don't say that you
can not advance the price OF mining
because the competition in the north
west is o great"
The report of the committee on rulea
and order OF business was read and
adopted amid great confusion. A num-
Der of the miners, having taken UNI
bragg at the ruling OF the chair, began
to leave the hall, and before the hour
of adjournment had arrived, half Of
them had taken their departure. The
delegation from the various States
were next asked to appoint a scale
committee OF four members with four
~alternates, each from the miners and
operators.
After these committees had been
named a motion was made to allow the
delegates not seated to have a seat in
the conference without a voice.
This started the Trouble.
On the roll call the motion was lost.
the miners voting against 1t, giving az
their reasons that the delegates ought
TO be admitted Il the full privilege
OF not at all. During the discussion,
Secretary VIM D. Ryan said:
Gentlemen, / for one. do not pro.
pose TO stand for the bulldozing tao
tics Of this chairman, and I do not
think you will stand for either. He
has shown himself to be two-faced