The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-02-06
THE COAL MEMS CONTEST
SUBCOMMITTEE OF OPERATORS AND
MINERS WRESTLING.
Meets at OIumbia Club, which Is a
Safer Retreat Than the Pub
lie Hotels Offer.

The joint scale committee Of the opera
tors and miners. upon converting yesterday.
Immediately decided to refer the scale to a
subcommittee with the hope OF more quick
ly reaching an agreement. The subcommit-
tee is composed of the following represent
atives: Pennsylvania operators, T. L. Rob
bins and Q. A. Blackburn; miners, Patrick
Dolan and William Dodds. Ohio operators,
H. L. Chapman. and j. II. Winder; miners,
w. H. Haskins and d. Sullivan. Indiana
operators, Walter S. Boyle and ]. II. Nc
Clelland; miners, w. d. Van Horn and
William Wilson. Illinois operators, H. n.
Taylor and William Keefer; miners, w.
d. Ryan and w. r. Russell. The subcom-
mittee wrestled will the propositions Of the
miners all day and adjourned at 5 o'clock
last evening without reaching any agree
ment. The miners stood by all of their de-
mands and the operators were just as firm
in opposing them. Nothing will be done
until the m reaches an agree
ment and it is ratified by the general scale
committee. Then it will be reported to the
joint conference for ratification, whether
1t is an agreement or disagreement.
The subcommittee has made every safe
guard to keep the matter before the COM
mittee from reaching the public. 1t is hold
ing its sessions In the Columbia Club, where
there are fewer prying eyes and open ears
than in the hotel Hobbies.
Immediately after the m ad-
Journed the operators held a meeting. I'm
less they recede from their stand there will
be no agreement. 1t is up TO the operators
to make a move and unless they do the min
ers will offer no compromise. In the meet
ing yesterday the operators still insisted
that the demands of the miners were out
Of reason. but the miners stood firm.
HOW THE MATTER STANDS.
At no joint conference Of the coal miners
and operators has the situation looked
darker in regard to an agreement than it
does at this time. The operators held a
meeting last night, but no one would give
out any information indicating the nature
Of the business before it. Many of them
denied that there was a meeting. 1t is
understood that the proposition that will
be made to the subscale committee this
morning will be to accept the present wage
scale. This may be construed to mean a
concession on the part of the operators, as
they have already made a proposition for
a 10 per cent. reduction, and would place
the miners on the defense. Many of the
operators state positively that they will
not pay more than the present scale of
wages and that If an agreement is not
made at this joint conference they will
stand firm until April 1, when the scale
expires and then it will be left to the
miners to accept it again or quit work.
Just how far the operators will carry this
proposition remains to be seen in the Ses-
sion of the subcommittee to-day. The min
ers have taken a decisive stand that they
will not recede from any of the PROPOSE
tons before the joint conference, and have
held no meetings since they were left to
the subcommittee. which indicates that the
miners representatives nave been in
structed to make no concessions.
The powder question and check-off sys-
tenn are two propositions on which an
agreement may be reached by leaving them
to the different districts. On the other prop
ositions there seems 10 be no hope for a
- T.
the operators are willing to concede a
slight advance in wages, rather than have
no agreement. 1t was stated last night
that the operators of Pennsylvania and
Ohio had formed an alliance to stand to-
gether in resisting the demands and if an
agreement is not reached, that they will
go home and attempt TO operate their
mines with miners who are willing to ac-
cept the old conditions. The hands of the
national officers of the mine workers are
tied by the action OF the radical element
in the organization relative TO compromis-
ing and unless a more conservative at
titude is taken by these, they may not be
able TO steer the union over the present
situation without trouble. There is also a
possibility of the joint agreement being
broken, but this would not materially af-
feet the mine workers. as their organi-
zation is one and the same in all States.
A CHANCE FOR ARBITRATION.
The Illinois operators seem to be des-
tined to play an important part in the
Jill ia 0AAANs 0AA4 AAA1 ALSOlANlOh lAlNA
presented at the opening session, provid-
ing for arbitration. and which was voted
down by Pennsylvania and Ohio, may be
again brought to light and used as a means
of a~verting a strike or lockout. 1t is be-
lieved by some of the Illinois operators
that the resolution will again be brought
before the conference. and if il is adopted
as read il Will provide a means OF settling
all differences without a strike. The miners
all voted for il. 1t is not known how In
diana stands on the resolution, but If il
Should favor IL Pennsylvania and Ohio are
the only States left to oppose IL on the
side OF the operators. as Illinois fathered il.
1t is stated that II this joint conference
fails 10 reach an agreement Ii will be the
initial step toward the greatest industrial
contest that this country has ever wit
messed. The miners say they will not fight
one State at a time. but that If IL comes TO
a contest II will mean a universal one.
Such a strike would extend over the entire
hltuminous coal field of the United States
including the few unorganized districts