The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1903-03-26

No suspension of work shall take place,
by lockout or strike, pending the adJuolca
ton of any matter taken up for adjustment.
Checkers to Be Employed.
V.-Whenever requested by majority OF
the contract miners of any col1ery, cneck
weighmen or check docking bosses, or Doth
shall be employed. The wages of said check
weighmen and check docking bosses shall be
fixed. collected and paid by the miners In
such manner as the said miners snail Dy
majority vote elect, and when requested Dy
a majority of said miners, the operators
shall pay the wages fixed for check weigh
men and check docking bosses out of deduc-
lions made proportionately from the earn
ings of said miners, on such pasis as the
majority of said miners shall determine
Whine cars shall be distributed
among miners who are at work as uniformly
and as equitably as possible, ana there
shall be no concerted effort on the part OF
the miners or mine workers of any colliery
or collieries to limit the output OF the
mines or to detract from the quality OF the
work unless such limitation of output be
In conformity to an agreement between an
operator or operators and an organization
representing a majority of said miners In
his or their employ.
VII.-In all coses where the miners are
paid by the car, the increase awarded TO
the contract miners is based upon the cars
In use. the topping required, and the rates
paid per car which were in force on Aprll
1. 1902. Any increase in the size OF the
car, or in the topping required, shall be
accompanied by proportionate increase In
the rate paid per car.
Scale of Wages Fixed.
yIu-The following scale of wages shall
become effective April 1, 1903 and shall
affect all miners and mine workers includ
ed in the award of the commission. The
wages fixed in the awards shall be the
e. +hn amin dor
scale:
For each increase of cents in the
average price of white ash coal of sizes
above pea coal sold at or near New York,
between Perth Amboy and Edgewater, and
reported to the bureau of anthracite coal
statistics, above say $3.50 per ton, the en-
ployes shall have an increase of 1 per cent
in compensation, which shall continue until
change in the average of said coal works
a reduction or an increase in compensation !;
but the rate of compensation shall In no
case be less than that fixed In the award
That is, when the price of said coal reaches
S455 per ton, the compensation will be
increased 1 per cent, to continue until the
price falls below $3.50 per ton, when the
per cent. increase will cease, or until the
price reaches $500 per ton. when an ad-
ditional l per cent. will be added, and so
These average prices shall be computed
monthly by an accountant or clerk named
by the circuit judge of the Third judicial
district and paid by the coal operators
such compensation as the appointing judge
may fix, which compensation shall be dis
trbuted among the operators In proportion
to the tonnage of each mine.
In order that the basis may be laid for
the successful working of the sliding scale
provided herein, 1t Is also adjudged and
panies file at once with the United States
commissioner of labor a certified statement
of the rates of compensation paid In each
occupation known in their companies, as
they existed April 1, 1902
Must Be No Discrimination.
IX.-No person shall be refused employ
ment or in any way disseminated against
on account of membership or non member
ship in any labor organization, and there
shall be no discrimination against, or inter
ference with any employe who is not
member of any labor organization by mem
bers of such organization.
Z.-All contract miners shall be required
to furnish within a reasonable time before
each pay day statement of the amount OF
money DUE from them to their laborers, and
such sums shall be deducted from the
amount due the contract miners and paid
directly to each laborer by the company.
All employees when paid shall be furnished
with an itemiZed statement of account
XI-The awards herein made shall con-
tinue in force until March 81 1906, and any
employee or group of employees violating any
of the provisions thereof shall be subject to
reasonable discipline by the employers and
these awards, either by employer or en-
ployes, shall not invalidate any of the pro-
visions thereof
Recommendation Made.
The commission also makes a number of
recommendations, which may be SUMMARY
ed as follows
The discontinuance of the system of en-
ployng the "coal and iron police" because
this force Is believed to have an irritating
effect and resort to the regularly consti-
tuted peace authorities in case of necessity.
A stricter enforcement of laws In relation
to the employment of children.
That the state and federal governments
should provide machinery for the making
of compulsory investigation of difficulties,
similar to the investigation which this COM
mission has made.
The commission expresses the opinion that
with a. few notifications the federal act Of
October, 1898, authorizing a commission to
settle controversies between railroad corpo-
ratons and other common carriers, could
be made the basis of law for arbitration
in the anthracite coal mining business The
commission, however, takes decided OPP
position against compulsory arbitration. On
this point they add quite a lengthy com
mentary, which closes in the following
language:
''The chief benefit to be derived from the
suggestion herein made lies in placing the
condition authoritatively before the people,
that the public opinion may crystalize and
make its power felt. Could such commits
sion as that suggested have been brought
into existence in June last, we believe that
the coal famine might have been averted.
Certainly the suffering and deprivation
might have been greatly mitigated."