The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-20

MINERS AND OPERATORS
WILL SIGN SCALE HERE
Members of the Subcommittee VIII
Meet in This City To
Morrow.
BOTH SIDES JUBILANT
Interstate Movement Intact for
Two Years-Features of the
Agreement.
BOTH SIDES |

For the purpose of signing the joint wage
scale according to the terms of the oper-
ators' compromise, a meeting of the sub
scale committee, consisting of two miners
and two operators from each of the four
competitive States of Ohio. Indiana, Illi-
nois and western Pennsylvania, will be
held tomorrow at the Claypool Hotel. The
men who will represent the competitive
miners and operators in the conference are;
Frank L. Robbins and C. w. Schlueder-
berg, of the Pennsylvania operators; Pat
rick Dolan and William Dodds, of the Penn
sylvania miners.
J. II. Winder and II. l.. Chapman, of the
Ohio operators; w. III. Haskins and d. H.
Sullivan, of the Ohio miners.
w. s. Boyle and James McClelland. of
the Indiana operators; George Hargrove
and William Wilson. of the Indiana miners.
II. n. Taylor and w. f. Lukins. of the
Illinois operators. and Thomas Reynolds
and w. d. Ryan, of the Illinois miners.
The new scale which will be signed by
the miners and operators will embrace a
reduction from the present mining scale
of 5.55 per cent, as set forth in the ulti-
matum of the operators This is a reduc-
ton of one-half the increase secured by
the miners at their conference last year
or reduction of 5 cents per ton on screen
mining and cents per ton on the run-of-
mine. This will make the new scale ap-
proXimately as follows; pennsylvania,
Chic and the block district of Indiana, lump
coal. s5 cents per ton; Indiana bituminous
mine run, 81 cents per ton; Indiana bitumi-
nous. lump coal, S cents per ton; Illinois
bituminous, mine run, with Danville as
basic point, 81 cents
TWO YEARS CONTRACT
One feature of the new scale is that it
will he a two years' contract and will e.
sure peace and amicable relations in the
mining industry for that period of time.
Heretofore all contracts signed by the
miners and operators have been for a term
of "one year. The two-year contract was
made a part of the operators ultimatum.
it being stated by them that reduction
could not be granted unless the contract
was made for two years. Who will benefit
directly by the two-year contract depends
upon the fiuctuation of the countrys mar
kets. Should wages fall greatly within the
coming year the miners will receive ben
eft Should another wave of prosperity
arise. boosting wages abnormally, the ben
efit will be derived by the operators The
object, however, of the biennial contract
is TO assure peace in the mining fields.
Since the result of the vote of the miners.
taken last Tuesday. has become known.
hopes and good feeling among both oper-
ators and miners have taken a bound. Oper-
ators, wherever seen, have expressed great
admiration for the national officers and
leaders of the United Mine Workers because
of the thorough work done by them in keep
ing down a strike within their own ranks
1t is conceded that the action of the miners
is the greatest compliment that could be
paid themselves and the operators.
Mr.. Tenant, one OF the larger operators.
was passing through the city yesterday.
Il think one of the wisest moves made by
the mine workers leaders," he said, was
in setting the date of the vote two weeks
in the future and thus giving the men in
the mines time in which to think OF the
step they were about TO take The action
of the miners has saved the interstate
movement. which was so terribly staggered
by the deadlock, and j believe that two
years Of peace will restore il TO the conf
dence of men: 1t cannot be denied though
that the confidence placed in it has been
partially shattered by the blow. The ac-
tion of the miners is a tribute to their Of
ficers and the mining industry"
MITCHELL PLEASED.
John Mitchell is greatly pleased at the
outcome of the vote. 1t even exceeded his
expectations and greatest hopes. Both
Vice President Lewis and Secretary VIII
son are also greatly pleased at the result.
d. H. Sullivan. vice president of Ohio, who
is in the city, is greatly elated at the show
ing Ohio made in the vote. He said last
night: Our vote certainly shows that the
miners of Ohio have absolute confidence in
their leaders" In proportion to it's MEM
berS Ohio cast the largest ma jority against
the strike proposition.
good many mine workers from Ohio
will attend the meeting of the subscale COM
mittee tomorrow in view of the fact that
the Ohio state conference of the United
Mine Workers executive board of District
6 will be held in Columbus next Wednes-
day to fix the dates of the subdistrict con-
ferences with operators, when the more
minute parts of the wage scale will be ad-
justed.
Ohio is considered the most complex State
in the competitive field because of the diff
ferent grades of coal found in its confines.
For this reason it is necessary that each
subdistrict shall hold conference and fix
its rates according 10 its grade of coal.
Operators and miners are expected TO be-
gin arriving at the Claypool this evening.
It is not probable that they will be here
longer than tomorrow night the sign
ing of the scale is but a formal duty.