The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-02-03
BOTH SIDES OBDURATE
OPERATORS AND MINERS APPARENT
LY NO NEARER AGREEMENT.
The End of the struggle Is Expected
the Latter Part of the Week
Block Coal District.

Following the custom of former wage
conferences the settlement of the differences
between the miners of Ohio. Illinois In
diana and western Pennsylvania and the
owners of coal mines in those fields has
been turned over to subcommittee of the
joint scale committee chosen at the second
days session of the wage conference. The
subcommittee designated yesterday to get
together on the demands of the miners is
composed of William II, Haskins and d. IL.
Sullivan Of Ohio, George Hargrove and
James Cantwen of Indiana, Patrick Dolan
and William Dodds of Pennsylvania, and
William Ryan and II. C. Perry of Illinois,
for the miners, and w. S. Boyle and James
Mcclellan of Indiana, Harry Taylor and
William Keefer of Illinois, f. L. Robbins
and o. A. Blackburn of Pennsylvania, and
III. l.. Chapman and j. III. Winder of Ohio,
for the operators.
The subcommittee met yesterday and
could not agree anything. The only
agreement that was reached. and it was
reached promptly, was the selection of
William H. Haskins, of Ohio, chairman
of the subcommittee. All of the members
were enjoined to secrecy, and nothing of
the deliberations of the committee were
made public last night The members all
talked freely of the situation in so far as it
concerned the wage conference and general
understanding. but to the actual pro-
ceedings of the subcommittee absolutely
nothing could be learned.
REASON FOR REDUCTION.
The reduction of the membership Of the
committee necessary, 1t is said. the
impossibility of agreement of either the
general conference or of the scale commit
tee of thirty-two men was apparent. The
demands to be considered are something
more than ever presented before.
The prices of coal have grown SO that
the miners, realizing what they think is the
prosperity of the operators, have demand
ed increases in proportion to the increase
in profit on COAL based on the previous
cost of its production.
The operators deny the increases. The
price of coal with them has remained sta
tionary, they say. The large prices of free
coal have not been a source of profit, in
asmuch as the coal sold by them has been
at contract price which, they say, was
based on the scale agreed upon at the con-
ference held a year ago.
The miners organization, realizing it's
strength. is seeking to force on the oper-
ators of Ohio, Indiana and western Penn
sylvania the adoption of the 7-cent differ
entail between pick-mined and ma
chine.mined coal and also the es-
basis of measurement that now ex-
lists in Illinois. The two demands are OBJ
jectionabe to the mine owners of the other
States for many reasons. Illinois oper-
ators say the profit screened coal is
lost when the payment for the mining of
it is based on the run-of-mine, and the
coal Jumps and small fragments are
weighed in against them at differential
of cents between pick-mined and machine
| mined coal. They say they will not adopt
the two conditions, and the Illinois mine
| hO nous rapait foi hat
| less the entire competitive field adopts the
measurements forced upon them they will
not be party TO an agreement of wages
and neither will they be bound by the
| agreement of the conference of which they
are members.
CALLED FOR HELP
| The miners stand steadily for their de-
| mands. No concessions will be made, it is
said, and although President Mitchell is
| fighting in his last trench, they will sup
| port their demands. Mitchell has had the
control of the convention, and sought to
| control the conference He found diff
1 Guilty, it is said, and in order to extricate
| himself called for the assistance of Michael
| Ratchford, labor commissioner of Ohio
who came to Indianapolis yesterday and
| spent most of his time in consultation with
! the leader of the miners. Ratchford's in
| fiuence with both miners and operators is
| great and in him the operators look fol
conservatism and the miners for support.
The end of the struggle will come the
| latter part of the week. The end means
| it is said by persons acquainted with the
| situation, that the miners will return to
| their locals after agreeing to an increase
| of about Is per cent. in wages of miners, 2
per cent. i'm wages of inside laborers. suci
as timber men. drivers and carmen, a like
Increase in yard men and other laborers
| at the mouths of the mines, and no chang,
| in the basis of measurement. The cen
| differential will be far distant as ever
and the run of mine basis will be effectu
ally killed at the conference, 1t is thought
A mine operator said last night: I'VE
| have from now until April to fight this out
| and we will fight 1T rather than submit Il
any demands that now seem to us to b,
| preposterous. We opposing the de
mands of the miners from principle, ant
can oppose them indefinitely in this con
ference and will do So
The operators are said to be willing L
agree to some things If the miners are will
ing to agree to others. Eight hours worl
is too little for day, the owners point out
while the miners point to the laws of SOM
of the States i'm the field as an example o
what just days work should be.
BY Friday or possibly Saturday ii Is ex
pected that an agreement may be reached
but until then both sides declare they will
stand by their first demands and agree
ments, and will not recede from the posi-
lions originally taken.