The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-24
IL Is Said a Demand Will He Made for
General Increase Of Twenty
Per Cent.
COMING WAGE CONFERENCE
1T WILL PROBABLY BE IN SESSION
SEVERAL DAYS.
More Attempts to Inject Socialism Into
the OrganizatfOn-AS hrevd Ala
bama Distiller.

them in the fourteenth annual convention
yesterday by approving the scale commit
tees recommendations and practically de-
Gliding on a general increase of 20 per cent
in wages to be demanded of the operators
at the coming joint conference. The opera
tors will meet with the miners in the wage
conference of the central competitive dis
trict on Jan. 30. The central district is
composed of the Pittsburg soft coal fields
Of Pennsylvania Ohio. Illinois and Indiana,
and the scales adopted at the conference
are generally accepted as the basis for the
scales of the other districts in West Vir-
ginia and Virginia and the other soft coal
districts.
The general demand of an increase of 20
per cent. will also be accompanied by the
demand for a run-of-mine standard of
measurement and also a differential of at
least per cent. between pick and ma
chine-mined coal. The engineers, fremen
and men employed outside and inside the
mines I'm loading and transferring coal are
also to be increased similarly, If the opera
tors and the miners get together on the
scale recommended by the committee.
Trouble is anticipated by some of the del
egates when the wage conference is begun.
The operators are sure to protest against
the increase on the ground that, although
much money was made during the year by
the mine owners and the coal mine bust
ness has been profitable one, they cannot
establish the wages demanded without set
ting a bad precedent for the future. The
coal market is not going to continue at the
ruling price for coal at the mines. the OPP
orators are certain, and to grant the in
crease demanded will be to establish a
scale of wages that cannot be paid with
profit in the future. The miners have COM
piled statistics showing the amount of coal
mined last year and its cost of production.
This cost of production has not been any
more than formerly, when so per cent. Of
the present price was considered big price
for coal. Now the miners say the operators
are making money and should be willing to
divide profits with them.
THE WAGE CONFERENCE.
The wage conference will be in session
for several days. The sessions are gen.
orally executive and no conference between
employers and employees is of greater i'm
portance. The mine owners practically es-
tablish scale of wages for all the soft
coal miners in the country. The bituminous
men have greatly simplifed their business
they say by agreeing to enter a conference
in which signed agreements between the
owners and the miners are established. The
anthracite operators have persistently re-
fused to enter such conferences and this 1t
is said was responsible for the strike last
summer. Some of the miners think that If
the anthracite men would get together with
them on the wage problem each year there
would be little chance for disagreement
Ao+x he Of ha rrrfr nd fhafv
laborers.
The State of Iowa and its delegates to the
convention continued to occupy the time of
the convention at yesterday mornings ses-
sion. The Iowa miners want some sort OF
socialistic resolutions adopted and persist
in introducing such resolutions Yesterday
John f. Ream, national executive commit
teeman from Iowa, introduced another reso-
luton favoring the establishment of CO.
operative stores by the mine workers
union. The resolution was supported by
to the value of the idea were made by
speakers. Patrick Dolan, of the Pittsbure
delegation, replied to Ream by demanding
to know If the Iowa men had taken the in.
| itiative and established stores on their own
| account. Ream said they had not and
| Dolan said that until the plan had beer
| proven a success he would not approve Of
any resolution which thrust cooperative
stores on the mine workers union. William
Ryan, of Illinois, was another delegate
| who did not believe in the good policy OF
4 the resolution, ana ne SAID the resolution
| was nothing but soclalisuc resolution
neatly yelled and would cause no end Of
| trouble If allowed to slip through. The sup
porters of the resolution denied that there
| was any underlying motive for the resolu
! ton. and said it was supported by the ma
/ jority of the Iowa delegates because they
believed Ii good plan.
Secretary-treasurer w. B. Wilson wa!
| another speaker against the resolution ant
shortly after he had argued the point
motion to lay the resolution on the table
/ was approved A rising vote was demanded
| on the motion 10 table and the vote showed
| 200 delegates voting In the negative, which
indicated a heavier Socialist vote than an
| ticipated earlier in the session.
| ALABAMA SCORED.
/ Delegates Farley and Mother Jones be
| came involved in an argument over chill,
/ labor in Alabama mines on Thursday an,
| yesterday Alabama was lambasted becaus
of the actions of one of it's citizens.
| distiller with an eye to business and a new
brand of whisky named his brand the ~
NJ. w. of A. whisky" and used a fac
simile of the seal of the organization on tn
bottle. The organization adopted resolu
| ton criticising the distillor and also order
| ing that no mine worker drink any of tn
| whisky until the Objectionable name wa
| taken from the objectionable article. Ala
bama was in evidence again during tn
day, when a part of the Eleventh distric
| of Tennessee was recommended for tranSfe
| to District No. 20 in Alabama.
During the morning. before the door
| were closed on the executive session. tn
following resolutions were concurred in an
| favorably considered by the committee:
A resolution providing for the settin
| aside of the meeting night In each mont
| OF every local of the organization 10 be de
| voted TO a discussion of economic subjects
a resolution disappearing of the sugges
ton of Frank Sargent, commissioner O
| immigration. to remove the headquarters @
| that department from Pittsburg.
a denunciation of the laws that disfran
chise either white or colored voters.
| many providing for greater ALLEGIANCE to tn
union label and several favoring increase
in wages. Among these resolutions wer
several from locals which demanded RI
duction of the working day TO six hour
| without reduction in the pay. Anothe
one was quickly voted down amid a roa
| of laughter, as IL provided for the abol
| ton of the national executive board.
resolution TO change the date of the expira
ton OF the scale year TO Feb 2S was ais
| introduced.
IL is the sense OF the convention that I
incorporate the mine workers organizatio
would be unwise and the resolution offere
earlier in the week providing for the In
corporation was not concurred in by I'll
convention.