Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1903-03-12
MINERS WILL NOT STRIKE
AGREEMENT REACHED At LAST
MOMENT AT THE JOINT CON-
VENTioN IN SPRINGFIELD.
Indianapolis Scale Aecepted--coal
Dlssers, Rather Than Walk Out De-
eide to Abandon Demand for 1o-cent
Advance and Accept 8.

Springfield, ILL.,. Illinois coal miners
and operators reached an agreement
Saturday afternoon after one of the
liveliest sessions since the joint con-
ference system of fixing a wage scale
was adopted The demands for which
the mine workers in Williamson Coun-
ty and the thin-vein fields Of Northern
Illinois we're eontendIng were with
drawn at the last moment and some
minor concessions on the part Of the
operators quickly brought about an ad-
iustment of the existing differences.
Considerable dissatisfaction is ex-
pressed by the miners, who we're hold
ing fol what they considered an equit-
able scale of wages in their districts,
and it is apparent that the questions
that came so near resulting in a dis
agreement in the present conference
win figure extensively in the confer
e1ce one year hence.
Under the agreement reached a g.
cent increase is made in every working
field in the State. This is the increase
agreed upon at the national convention
recently held at indianapolis for the
Danville district, the basing point for
the Illinois scale.
The result of the Scent increase va:
ries extensively in different parts of
the State and this is the reason for a
demand on the part of the miners for
a change in the differential It is esti.
mated that the cents a ton increase
will net miners in some portions of the
State an increase Of so to go cents
a day in their wages, while in the thin
vein fields of North Illinois the in
crease will amount to only Is or 20
cents day for each man, because of
the lesser amount of coal that can be
mined in the thin-vein fields.
The operators conceded the 10 cents
key increase they demanded in the
.G1ce of powder Under the resolutions
forming a part of the agreement it is
provided that the miners shall pur-
chase their powder from the operators,
provided it is furnished of standard
grade and quality. Last year the pow
der price was fixed at S1.75 a key.
Since that agreement became effective
the price of powder has been increased
and the operators demanded that the
price for the coming year be fixed at
$1S5 a keg. After conceoing the
points on the Williamson County and
Northern thin-vein scale, the miners
put it up to the operators to leave the
price of powder where it stood OF be-
come responsible for a strike, and the
operators granted the concession.
The joint conference did not open
until after noon. In the morning
bhe miners held an executive
session at which the matter was fully
gone over and the advisability of in
augurating a strike was fully consid-
cred. 1t was finally agreed to make a
final effort to secure the concessions
demanded, but to accept the straight
increase offered, rather than to strike.
When the joint conference was con-
vened the miners made a last plea for
their demands, and, finding the opera
tors still firm in the determination not
to grant the increase, waived the
points which have held the joint con-
ference in a deadlock for nearly two
weeks.