Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1903-03-28
COAL STRIKE REPORT
The Findings Of tho Anthracite
Commission Made Public.
Against Compulsory Arbitration-A Board
OF Cancellation Recommended - The
Disoontinusnce of Employing
Police Urged.

the president last October to investi-
gate the anthracite coal strike was
made public to-day. The report is
dated March is and is signed by all
the members of the commission. In
brief the commission raises . gener-
al increase of wages amounting in
most instances to ten per cent;
some decrease of time; the settle
ment of all disputes by. arbitration;
fixes n minimum wage and a sliding
scale; provides against discrimina-
ton of persons by either the mine
owners or the miners on account of
membership or non-membership in q
labor union and provides that the
awards made shall continue in force
until March 81, 1906.
The commission discussed to some
extent the matter of recognition or
non-recognition of the miners union,
but declined to make any award on
this measure.
The commission says:
Any difficulty or disagreement
arising under this award as to it's
Interpretation or application, or in
any way growing out of the rela-
tons of the employers and employed
which cannot be settled or adjusted
by consultation between the super
intendent or manager of the mine or
mines, and the miner or miners d.
rectly interested or is Of scope too
large to be settled shall be referred
to permanent joint committee to
be called board of Cancellation, to
consist of six persons. appointed as
hereinafter provided. That is to say,
II there shall be division of the
whole region into districts in each of
which there shall exist an organiza-
ton representing a majority Of the
mine workers os such district one of
said board of Cancellation shall be
appointed by each of said organiza-
tons and three other persons shall
be appointed by the operators, the
operators in each of said districts APP
pointing one person.
The board of Cancellation thus con-
stituted shall take up and consider
any question referred to it as afore-
said, hearing both parties to the
controversy and such evidence as
may be laid before 1t by either party,
and any award made by majority of
such board of Cancellation shall be
final and binding on all parties. If,
however, the said board is unable
to decide any question submitted or
point related thereto, that question
or point shall be referred to an UNI
pire, to be appointed, at the request
of said board, by one of the circuit
judges of the Third judicial circuit
of the United States, whose decision
shall be final and binding in the
premises.
No suspension of work shall take
place, by lockout or strike, pending
the adjudication of any matter
taken up for adjustment.
Mine cars shall be distributed
among miners, and there shall be no
concerted effort on the part of the
miners or mine workers of any col
liery or collieries to limit the out
put of the mines or to detract from
the quality CT the work, unless such
limitation of output be in conform
fly to IN agreement between an oper.
afor or operators and an crganiza-
ton representing majority of said
miners in his or their employ.
The commission also makes q
number of recommendations which
may be summarized as follows:
The discontinuance of the system
Of employing "the coal and iron po-
lice" because this force is believed
to have an irritating effect and re-
sort TO the regularly constituted
peace authorities in case of neces-
sity.
A strict enforcement of the laws in
relation to the employment of chill
dren.
That the state and federal govern
ments should provide machinery for
the making of a compulsory investi-
CATION of difficulties, similar to that
Investigation which this commission
has made. The commission express
the opinion that with few modifi-
cations the federal act of October,
1888, authorizing commission to
settle controversies between railroad
corporations and other common car
riers could be made the basis of
law for arbitration in the anthra-
cite coal mining business. The
however, take a decid-
ed position against compulsory ar
bitration.
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