The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-08-24
LABOR IN COAL FIELDS.
Industrial Commission Prepares an
Interesting Report-Trainmen's
Session-Other Notes.

The industrial commission has pre-
pared a review of all the evidence
heard by the commission on the mining
industries of the United States. No at
tempt Is made to draw conclusions or
To make recommendations, but atten-
tion is called to points on which there
was a substantial agreement by wit
nesses and to other points on which
there was wide divergence OF opin-
ion. Especial attention; is paid to the
rela lions of employees and employed in
the coal fields and to the Occur d 'Alene
riot and subsequent events in Idaho.
The desirability of formal agreements
between organizations of employees, de-
terminng wages and hours and other,
conditions of labor for fixed periods,
was matter of general agreement
among the witnesses who referred to II.
The organiza tions of the miners. the
United Mine Workers. the summary re-
cites. seems to have promoted the
formation of such agreements to the
best of its ability. and to have been sue
cessful in establishing them in most
places where it has developed great
strength. The most notable of the joint
conferences at which such agreements
conference OF the so-called competitive
district, covering illinois, Indiana, Ohio
and the western region of Pennsyl-
vania, which determines the conditions
of labor of perhaps 100000 workers. An
informal conference of operators and
representatives of the miners organ
ization. covering the most of this re-
gion, was held as far back as 1885. and
was repeated annually for several
years. The custom was broken up,
however, in 1889. The renewal of it fol-
lowed the great strike OF 1897. The
conference was held in the spring OF
1898. at which a formal agreement for
the ensuing year was drawn up: and a
similar conference has been held each
year since.
THE conferences are attended by
many operators and by representatives
| Of each local union of the United Mine
Workers. Each side and each state,
however, has the same vote-the min
| ers of each state four, and the oper-
ators of each state four. Every i'm
pOrtant decision must be reached by
a unanimous vote. not by mere ma
| jority. The actual formation of the
| scale is referred, after general discus
| sion, to a committee consisting of four
miners and four operate from each
state. II an agreement is not reached,
| questions in dispute are referred to a
sub committee of eight or Of sixteen.
"It seems to be agreed that the Oper-
ators as we'll as the miners benefit by
| the agreement system. The number of
| disputes and strikes is greatly dimin-
ished and the several districts and the
| several operators within each district
are put upon fairer basis of Compe-
| ttion with each other. The uniform
| ity of conditions which the agreements
| introduce is a matter of congratulation
to those who are brought under them
1t Is complained, however, that the un-
organized condition of West Virginia
and the consequent lower wages. and
longer hours that prevail there put
the other districts at disadvantage.
All the witnesses heard by the cOm-
mission agreed that labor organizations
are valuable and necessary. There was
also agreement as To the effect of these
organiza ations in raising the rate OF
| wages. The Incorporation of trades
| unions was recommended by several
employees who testified on the ground
that 1t would increase their response
blity and act as a restraining infiu-
| enCe.
Nolumnous testimony was heard on
the subjects of sympathetic strikes
injunction against strikers, the boy
colt and other matters pertaining Il
the relations. of capital and labor, but
there was nothing like general agree
ment on any of these subjects, and the
commission in writing the summary
makes no comment nor recommends
|