The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-31
Proposition for Absolute Run-Of-Mine
Basis for Entire Competitive
Field Taken Up.
CHAIRMAN TRAER'S SPEECH
DELIBERATIONS OF CONFERENCES. OF
UTMOST IMPORTANCE.
scented by Herman Justi-RepOrt of
Credentials Committee.

H
The wages to be paid miners for the year
beginning April l by the mine owners of
the central competitive field are now being
determined by a joint scale committee of
sixteen committeeman from each side, and
the first step in the work taken yes
terday when the committee met in the
Hotel English and organized. The COM
mittee is composed of four representatives
from the miners and four from the oper-
ators of each of the four States included
in the central competitive district. The
committee also consists of an equal num-
Der of aBernates.
Contrary to the usual procedure of the
miners and operators conferences. the
committee was selected yesterday and Civ
en- its task TO work on. Heretofore it has
often been four days after the opening
sion before the conference was ready TO
submit the questions involved in the de-
mands and concessions to the scale COM
mittee and never before has business been
| expedited at this conference. The COM
mittee named yesterday consists of the fol-
/ lowing members and alternatcs:
| MEMBERS OF COMMITTEE.
Pennsylvania operators committeeman
Francis L. Robbins, o. A. Blackburn, G.
/ w. Schlenderberg, G.. w. Theis. Miners
] Patrick Dolan, William Dodds, William
F'rew, Hugh Mclaughlin. Pennsylvania
operators alternates-George Magoon, j. II.
| Jones, Walter Calverly, John Blythe.
Miners, alternates-Uriah Bellingham, Pat
rick Smith, Thomas Sharrat,. Chris Marsh
banks.
| Winder. w. X. Field. II. l.. Chapman. t.
| T.. Young. Miners committeemen-T. l..
Lewis, w. II. Haskins. ID. H. Sullivan, q.
| w. Savage. Ohio operators alternates-T
ward Johnson. Miners decentralization
Green, Michael Collins, Oliver Channel.
Indiana Operators (bituminous) commit
teemen-James II. Mcclellan, w. S. Boyle,
]. K. Seifert, a. NJ. Ogle. Miners, commit
| John Boyle and miners (blOckD, James Can't
we'll and William Treager Indiana oper-
ators' alternates-William FISHER (block).
| j. c. KolSem, Hugh Shirkie, David Ingle
| (bituminous) Miners alternateS (bitumln-
| ous)-Charles Baughn, Ed Isom and alter
! mates (block), William Wilson and Barney
| Nevin.
Illinois operators committeemen-H. N.
| Taylor, w. w. keefer, George t Cults,
r. 8 PEABODY S Miners comm peTnoIds w
| ID. Ryan. Illinois operators alternates-E.
| Z. Bent, f. w. Lukins, A. j. Moorshead, c..
| L. Hall. Miners alternates-W. T. Morris,
| Edward Cahill, Samuel Pascoe, Mart Charl-
ton.
The committee met yesterday afternoon
| and elected w. II. Haskins, miner, of the
Scroggs, OF the Illinois Operators Associa-
ton, secretary. and Frank Brooks, of Ohio.
assistant secretary. After organization the
committee informally considered the first
of the propositions in the following demand
made by the miners for new conditions of
employment for the ensuing year:
PROPOSITIONS CONSIDERED.
l. Absolute run-of-mine basis for the en-
tire competitive field.
2. A fiat differential of cents a ton be-
tween pick and machine mining.
g. An advance of 121a cents ton on pick
and machine mined coal.
T. A 80 per cent. advance on all inside
day labor based on the Columbus inside
day wage scale agreement; uniform scale
for all outside day labor with appropriate
advance with the mining rate
5. That drivers and cagers shall be paid
the same as track layers and timber men.
What the committee did is entirely spec
ulative as its members refuse to talk OF
the deliberat tons of the body. The COM
mittee. il is understood. did not enter on
its duties in detail and little or no time
was spent in debating any Of the questions
This proposition Is opposed by many of the
operators. as to adopt 1t means a shange
that to them seems radical and one that
they have contested in many previous con-
| ferenceS.
When the conference was convened in
Tomlinson Hall yesterday morning the Of
ficers decided on previously. G.. W. Traer
of Chicago. chairman: W. b. Wilson, Sec
rotary treasurer of the United Mine Work
ers of America, and c. S. Scroggs, secre-
tary of the Illinois Operators Associa-
ton. secretaries were chosen and assumed
their duties Mr.. Traer spoke for a few
minutes after taking the chair in thanking
the the Condition of the Central states at tho
present time, and he advised conservatism
and harmony as the things to be sought IN
of the deliberations of the conference meant
much TO the manufacturing interests anC
the people of Ohio. Pennsylvania. Illinoi:
and Indiana, as we'll to the miners who
dig the coal and the men who own thu
mines. and he pointed out that the dele
gates TO the conference owed great duty
to them. He said the people should b,
in the convention that would ultimatel,
work 10 the hardship OF the public.
DELEGATES ACCREDITED
, The credentials committee reported &C
; crediting delegates seats as follows: Penn
: sylvania. 50 miners, Is operators; Ohio, 10
, miners. 81 operators: Illinois, 172 miners, Is
= operators; Indiana Sc miners. So operators
, total, 421 miners, 2S3 operators; total IL
= convention. 7C4.
! Herman JUST, of the Illinois operators
presented the following resolution, afte
\ having spoken at length on its provisions
2 Resolved, That the scale committee o
\ this convention be and hereby is instructe
that in fixing the scale of mining rates L
| be paid at the basing points such rate
shall be all based alike on the same system
! OF weighing the coal and the same minn
80 ! conditions.
Resolved. That the scale committee o
| this convention be and hereby is instructe
to fix the machine mining rates TO be PAL
e i'm the four competitive States. and tina
, they shall be upon the same basis In each Q
the four States.
, In his remarks Mr.. JUST enumerate
e the grievances Of the Illinois operators. II
= said that they were compelled to operat
: ! their mines on the single run-of-mine basi:
I, while Pennsylvania and Ohio operated o
the screen standard. and Indiana mine
= were operated on both standards. He ais
J, spoke of the present differential betwee
: pick and machine mined coal existing
Illinois. He said the cent diferential va
: that practiced in Illinois. while Ohio an
: Western Pennsylvania aintained the dit
= ferential at 10 cents and Indiana 1919 cents
!; President Mitchell replied TO Mr.. Justi
I remarks and talked few minutes on th
! subjects dealt with in the resolution befor
he presented the demands OF the miners.
WILL NOT GO TO CHICAGO.