The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-03-24

or adjusted, shall be referred to per-
manent joint committee, to be called a
board of conciliation, to consist Of six
persons, appointed as hereinafter pro-
Vlded. That is to say, if there shall
be division of the whole region into
three districts in each of which there
shall exist an organization representing
a majority of the mine workers of such
, district, one of said board Of concilia-
ton shall be appointed by each of said
organizations and three other persons
shall be appointed by the operators,
the operators in each Of said districts
appointing one person.
The board of conciliation thus insti-
, tuted, shall take up and consider any
question referred to it as aforesaid,
! hearing both parties to the controversy
and such evidence as may be laid be-
fore it by either party; and any award
made by a majority OF such board Of
conciliation 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 umpire, to be appointed, at the
IequeSI OI SdlO DOdru, ny one Ol INC
circuit judges of the third judicial cir
cult of the United States, whose decis-
ion shall be final and binding in the
premises.
The membership of said board shall
at all times be kept complete, either
the operators or miners organiZa ton
having the right at any time, when a
controversy is not pending, to change
their representation thereon. At all
hearings before said board, the parties
may be represented by such person or
persons as they may respectively select.
No suspension Of work shall take place,
by lockout or strike, pending the ad-
judicatiOn of any matter so taken up
for adjustment.
5. Whenever required by a majority
Of the contract miners of any colliery.
check weighmen or check docking boss
es, or both, shall be employed. The
wages of said check weighmen and
check docking bosses shall be fixed, col
lected, and paid by the miners in such
manner as the said miners shall by a
majority vote elect; and when recon-
mended by a majority Of said miners,
the operators shall pay the wages fixed
for check weighmen and check docking
bosses out of deductions made proper
tionately from the earnings of the said
miners. OF such basis as the majority
of said miners shall determine.
6. Mine cars shall be distributed
among miners. who are at work. as
uniformly and as equitably as possible
and there shall be no concerted effort
on the part of the miners or mine work
ers Of any colliery or collieries. to limit
the output of the mines or to detract
from the quality Of the work performed
unless such limitation of output be in
conformity to an agreement between
an operator or operators and an organ
ization representing a majority of said
| miners in his or their employ.
Z. In all cases of which 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 April 1, 1902 Any increase in
| the size of car. or in the topping reQuir-
ed, shall be accompanied by proper
| tiOnate increase in the rate paid per
car.
s. The following sliding scale of
| wages shall become effective April l,
! 1903. and shall affect all miners and
mine workers included in the awards
! of the commission: The wages fixed in
| the awards shall be the basis Of, and
/ the minimum under the sliding scale.
| For each increase Of cents in the
average price of white ash coal or sizes
| above pea coal, sold at or near New
| York, between Perthamboy and Edge
water. and reported to the bureau of
anthracite coal statistics, above s4.5O
| per ton, f. o. b., the employees shall
have an increase of l per cent.
in their compensation, which shall
! continue until a change in the av-
! erage price Of said coal works a reduc-
| ton or an increase in said additional
!. compensation hereunder; 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 s4. 81
per ton, the compensation will be in
creased l per cent, to continue until
the price falls below s4.55 per ton, when
the l per cent. increase will cease OF
until the price reaches s4.6O per ton
when an additional 1 per cent. will be
added, and so on.
These average prices shall be COM