The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-07-29
COAL Goes Up.
Usage Operators Raise Price to
Retailers.
Fuel to Cost as Much as Last
Winter.
NEW SCALE OF WAGES.
Coal Men Say That Is Reason
For Increase.
Raise Amounts to 35 Cents Per
Ton.

The wholesale price of soft coal has
been raised in Kansas. The retail price
Will also be raised at once so that peo-
pie hereafter will have to pay as much
for coal as they did in the heart Of last
winter.
The action Of the operators was ta-
ken in Topeka Saturday night. The
Usage coal field owners met in Topeka
and decided to raise the price of coal
at the mines 30 cents per ton, which
made the wholesale price of Usage City
shaft at the mines $2.25 per ton, while
the price of Burlingame and Scranton
was increased to $2.10 per ton.
This Will make the Usage City shaft
coal cost Topeka people from $3.50 to
$3.75 per ton.
The local dealers were taken by sur
prise. One of them said today: THE
action of the operators was entirely
unexpected. They have been raising
the price of coal on September 1 and
We We're not expecting this action now.
I have made many contracts and
this means that / viii have to fill them
at a loss. The price fixed by the opera
tors is as much as they charged in the
dead of winter last season"
The reason for the advance is traced
to the increase in miners wages as in
dicated in the following Associated
Press dispatch:
SCALE IS FIXED.
Kansas City, July 29--Coal will be at
least 10 cents a ton higher next fall and
winter a s a result Of the advance in the
wage scale adopted by the Missouri and
Kansas mine operators last week.
A banquet at the Coates house rendered
was the final chapter in the conference OF
the Joint scale committee which has been
No IN session IN Kansas City for the past
miners and operators in Leayenworth
county, Kansas, and the entire state of
Missouri, with the exception of Benton.
Bates and Vernon counties was approved
and signed by both sides.
According to the terms of the contract
Santiago, Higbee, Kimberly and asso-
ciated mines are to pay 60 cents per ton.
Lingo is to pay 70 cents.
Waverly, 20 cents
Lafayette county, 81 per ton
Ray county, 81 per ton
Clay county, 81 per ton.
I.eavenworth county, "a cents per ton,
with a special scale for dead work
Trenton and Grundy counties. $1.15 pei
Novinger. Danforth. Midland No. and
associated mines in Adair county, 6 cents
Midland No. /. IS cents per ton for coal
stahi ana associated mines, s25k cents
vandalia, Farber. Martinsburg and Per
Blaeksmiths are to receive uniform
wage el 6 sDo per gay wnere
A clause i'll the contract provides that
any miner found delinquent in the dis
charge of his duties shall, for a first Of
tense, be suspended for one day or fined
81; a second offense shall merit suspen-
sion for three days or q fine of 81 Eight
hours shall constitute q days work Pay
days will in future be seni-monthly and
not more than ten days after the wages
have actually been earned
The price of powder shall remain at 81
per key.
Kierstead for the operators and George
Richards for the miners. Mr. Kierstead
has been the leader for the operators in
the joint conference and has done much
to facilitate an early and satisfactory
agreement The Joint committee adjourned
to the banquet room at the Coates, fol
lowing the ratification of the contract and
remained until the small hours of the
morning Those present Were
MISUNDERSTANDING of Richmond G.
Norris of Kansas City; w. E. Murlin of
Revier; F. Fennel of Lingo John W.
Tarsney of Kansas City. Major r. G.
ROmbauer of Novinger; Peter Mccall Of
Marceline- E. B. Loveland of Stahl;
George W. Kierstead of LeavenWorth,
and John H. Bovard of Kansas City.
Miners-George Dougan. Pat Kelly. J. D.
King. Frank Black. H. Williams. n. c.
Carroll. James Doran, F S. Williams. Jim
James. ]. Connolly, J. Boyd, L. c. Bank
son, Abe Walker. B. D Coons, J. r. Tall
bort, A c. Lee, James Boston, William
Barton, George Richards, George Manner
and kpIlpher.