The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-11-22
settlement Not Spoken OF.

Settlement Not Spoken Of.
During the entire proceedings the mat
ter of a settlement was not spoken or
except what was contained in the COM
missions announcement.
1t was learned tonight by the corre-
spondent of the Associated Press that
all the large companies have not yet as
sented to the proposed outside agree
ment, but that in all probability they will
consent snd continue to work as a unit,
as they did during the strike. The Phila-
delphia and Reading Coal and Iron COM
pany, one of the corporations 1t is un-
derstood has not been heard from on the
matter yet. Those which are said to be
In the agreement scheme are the Della
ware. Lackawanna and Western, the Lee
high Valley the Delaware and Hudson
and the Erie company, which controls
the Pennsylvania Coal company. and the
Hillside Coal and Iron company. The at
torneys for some of the other companies
are hourly expecting to hear from the
head officials of the corporations they
represent
There is a wide difference of opinion as
to whether the proposal to settle differ
ences among themselves will meet with
success. 1t has been realized that at
least two Of the four demands of the
miners-that for a uniform wage scale
and the Weighing of coal--cannot be sat
isfGctorily settled in the hearing room,
but must be fixed up at the mines. There
are upwards of 800 collieries and there are
hardly any two of them alike. 1t is ar
gued by the operators that there must be
a different scale for each cne on account
of the varying conditions, and that q uni
form wage scale, which is one of the
miners demands. is impossible. Regard
ing the, Weighing of coal, the operators
say that 1t would be impossible to grant
qc cd hxy min ara
because of the non-existence of machin-
cry or system BY which miner can be
paid for the 2240 POUNDS of prepared coal.
1t will have to be DONE they say, through
the present system of averages.
Making Contracts.
The proposition is to have the mine
workers make contracts with their en-
ployers only and not as it is done in the
bituminous states. where the operators
have state or district organizations which
recognize the United Mine Workers of
America. The proposed contract with
each company does not carry with it
recognition of the union and on that
ground it is not likely that the two
parties will be able to settle it without
resort to the arbitration commission. 1t
is not doubted that whatever agreement,
If one is reached, will be approved by the
commission. The agreement, however,
Will nave 10 be one that Will provide for
reasonably sure permanent settlement.
The instructions given to the commission
ers by President Roosevelt when he hand
ed the case to them to settle, are explicit.
In these instructions he said:
you will endeavor to establish the re-
lation between the employers and the
wageworkers in the anthracite fields on
just and permanent basis and as far as
possible do away with any causes for the
which you have been called on to settle"
When one of the commissioners was
asked what the commission would do in
case it thought the agreement would not
be performed, he said: 1--WE will cross
that bridge when we come to it,"