The Somerset reporter., 1903-03-26
Report of the Coal Strike
COmmissiOn.

zion appointed By President X .s-,V IL.
last Oetoher, Was made public. = lusday
me report proper covers - p#llt,t
pages VI matter aud Was signed by al
the members OF the commission who 81,
Judge George Gray Of Delaware; Labor
Commissioner Carol d. Wright AND
Brigadier Gen. John NJ. Wilson Of Wash.
lngton, ID. C.; Bishop John l.. Spaulding
OF Illinois; Thos. II. Watkins Of Penn
sylvania and Edward W. Parker Of
Washington, d. {. The following Is TIA,
commissions owa summary OF th,
awards made:
That an increase Of 10 per cent over
and above the rates paid in the month Of
Apri, 1902, be paid to all contract miner,
Tor cutting coal, yardage and other work for
which standard rates Of allowances existed at
that time from and after Nov. /, 1902, and
during the life Of this award. The amount Of
increase under the award due for work done
between Noy. /, 1907, and Apr. /, 1903, ~
be pad on or before June /, 1903.
HI nat engineers who are employed IN
hosting water shall have an increase Of 10
per cent on their earnings between November
y 1902, and April /, 1903, to be paid on or
before June /, 1908. and from and after
Apnl /, 1903, and during the life u the
award, they shall have S hour shifts. with the
same pay which was effective in April, 1902,
and where they are now working 8-hour
shifts, the 6-hour shifts shall be continued
and these engineers shall have an increase of
10 per cent on the wages which were effective
IN the several positions in April 1902
Hosting engineers and other engineers
and pumpmen, other than those employed in
hosting water, who are employed in positions
which are manned continuously shall have an
increase Of ten per cent on their earnings
between November /. 1902, and April /.
1908, to be paid on or before Tune l. 1909
and IRON and after April /, 1908, and during
the HE OF the award, they shall have an
increase of five per cent on the rates OF wages
winch were effective IN the several positions
IN April, 1902; and in addition they shall be
renewed from duty on Sundays, without loss
OF pay, by man provided by the employer to
relleYe them during the hours of the day
shift.
That firemen shall have an increase of Ic
per cent on their earnings between November
1, 1902, and April 1, 1903, to be paid on OF
before June 1, 1903, and from and after Apr
|, 1903, and during the life of the award
they shall have eight hours shifts with the
same wages per day, week, or month as were
paid IN each position in April /, 1902, all
employees or company men, other than those
for whom the commission makes specia
awards shall be paid an increase of 10 per
cent on their earnings between Nov. /, 1902
and April l, 1903, to be paid on or before
June 1, 1903, and from and after April /
1903, and during the life of the award, they
shall be paid on the basis of a nine. hour dav
receiving therefore the same wages as were
paid IN April, 1902, for ten hour day
Overtime IN excess q nine hours in any day
TO be paid at a proportional rate per hour.
lll.-During the life of this award the
present methods of payment for coal mined
shall be adhered to unless changed by mutual
agreement.
In all of the above awards it IS provided
that allowances like these made shall be paid
to the legal representatives Of such employees
as may have died since Nov. /, 1902.
lN.-Any difficulty or disagreement arising
under this award either as to its nterpreta-
ton or application, OF in any way growing
out OF the relations of the EMPLOYERS and
employed which cannot be settled or adjusted
by consultation between the superintendent
or manager of the mine or mines, and the
miner or miners directly interested, or is Of a
scope too large to he So settled or adjusted,
shall be referred to a permanent oint com
mittee to be called a board of Cancellation, to
consist Of six persons, appointed as herein.
after provided. That is To say, if there shall
70 a 4 of H., A.,
districts, in each Of which there shall exist an
organization representing a majority If the
mine workers of such district, one of said
board Of Cancellation 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 ap
pointing one person.
The board Of Cancellation thus constituted
shall take up and consider any question re-
ferred to ii as aforesaid, 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 tc
decide any question submitted or point re.
lated thereto, that question or point shall be
referred to an umpire, 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 ina
and binding in the premises.
The membership of said board shall at al
times be kept complete, either the operators
or miners organizations having the right a
any time when controversy is not pending
to change their representation thereon
At all hearings before said board, the par
ties may be represented by such person o.
persons as they may respectively select.
No suspension of work shall take place BY
lockout or strike, pending the adjudication Of
any matter so taken up for adjustment
N.-Whenever requested by maiorit,
of the contract miners of any colliery, checl
weighmen or check docking bosses, or both
shall be employed. The wages of said checl
weighmen and check docking bosses shall b,
fixed, collected, and paid by the miners il
such manner as the said miners shall by
majority vote elect, and when requested by
majority of said miners, the operators shall
pay the wages fixed for check weighmen an,
check-docking bosses out Of deductions made
proportionately from the earnings of tn,
said miners, on such basis as the majority o
said miners shall determine.
Nl.-Mine cars shall be distributed anon,
miners, who are at work, as uniformly and a
equitahly as possible and there shall be n,