Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-06
COAL STRIKES CAUSE
Forecast Of Commissions
Report.
AN INCREASE OF PAY
PROVISION FOR LOCAL BOARDS
OF ARBITRATION.
Question of Recognition of the Union,
It is Claimed, Will Not Be
Dealt With.

has practically agreed on all the vital
points on which is was required to pass,
according to the New York Herald. which
gives the following forecast of its report:
Secrecy as to the report has been imposed
on all members Of the commission. but 1t Is
stated, nevertheless, that the forecast pre-
scented herewith covers briefly but correctly
the main decisions and recommendations
that will be made in the report to the Pres
ident
Increased Pay.
It Is believed that the increase of 10 per
cent will be granted without any question.
but that certain changes will be made in the
system of paying the miners which will
make that increase considerably larger, be-
cause it will do away with the abuse Of
which the union complained of making the
men mine more than ton Of coal when In
theory they were paid for a ton.
The miners struck for 20 per cent de-
crease in hours for the men paid by the
day. without any decrease in the mems
wages. 1t is understood that the decrease
in hours recommended will be from ten to
nine.
The only matter about which the COM
mission has lately been in doubt Is the ques-
ton as to how the miners should be paid.
In some of the mines they are now PAID Dy
the car. The car was supposed to nolo
ton
Using as an excuse the IdCt tHdl tiC wa
almost invariably contained slate, the oper-
ators have from time to time increased the
size of the car until the amount OF coal
the men mine now for carload-the tneo-
retical TOMS sometimes more than ton
and a half.
In addition to this. the miners assert that
by a system of dockage they are deprived OF
q large per cent of their earnings, and one
of their main demands has been for miners
representatives to check and verify the
weights as ascertained by the dock bosses
and at the expense Of the men. to represent
the miners.
much per yard Of coal, AMI in Pennsylvania
and Reading mines they are paid by weight
after the coal is taken from the mine. ms
last mentioned system Is necessary from the
fact that the coal in these colleries Is In YER
teal veins, and there Is no way In which the
miner can avoid loading the slate with the
coal.
Boycotting.
The commission Will bear very hard on
the question of the boycott. 1t will lay
down as a principle that a man has right
to work without moestation, even though
he does not belong to the union.
1t Is understood, however, that the COM
mission will decide that the operators were
entirely wrong in their contention that an
unusually large number OF murders Were
ommitted in the coal regions by the miners
during the Lie NlSlihS oeLo
union men who were being inundated by
the strikers.
statistics of the coal mining counties that
there was really less violence IN the c tha
regions during the strike than during the
same length of time in previous years Wheh
there no strike. f-.
This is due to the fact that the men were
well under control, and during the strike
nearly all of the Engiish-speaking strikers
took and kept the pledge to abstain from
the use of intoxicating liquors.
On the one hand the principle will be iald
down that a miner who goes on strike mas
not a lien on his job. His place may be
filled by any other miner who is seeking
employment and who does not belong TO the
union and he has perfect right to retain
this position without molestation
On the other hand. the principle VIII be
laid down that the operators shall deal
with the committees of the miners Just as
the various railroads of the country deal
with the committees of the various brother
hoods of the railroad employees.
Under the terms of the agreement the
miners will get the increased pay recon-
mended for them from the time they re-
turned to work last October. The report
which the commission will make will IN
three years Both sides have agreed that
the findings of the arbitrators shall govern
that long.
Arbitration.
The commission is expected to recommend
a plan by which questions concerning the
interests of the entire hard coal regions
shall be settled from time to time as they
arise after the expiration Of the three
years peace. This may be done in a man.
ner similar to that now employed in the
bituminous regions. In those regions the
delegates from the operators and the dele
gates from the miners meet in open con-
vention have a free discussion and adjust
questions in dispute, which are held to be
binding for given period.
1t is also entirsly probable that provi-
sion will be made for local boards of arbi-
tration to settle minor disputes as they
occur in particular communities The
methods of mining and the conditions under
which the work is prosecuted SO widely
vary in different regions that 1t will be i'm
possible. 1t is thought. to have a general
board which will take all these questions
as they may arise
1t is believed that the report of the arbi-
traitors will have such moral effect that
thereafter the adjustment of minor local
grievances will be very easy matter.
Union Recognition.
The question of recognition of the union
will not enter directly into the report. The
union will be recognized, however, by the
very fact that the findings of the commits
sion Will be sent to John Mitchell, as the
representative of the miners, just as It will
be sent to George F. Baer. representing the