The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-28

are here and ready for business. From
Ohio and western Pennsylvania about TWEEN
ty-five are due to-day, among them the
leader of the interstate movement ON the
operators side Frank l.. Robbins. Mr.
Robbins is president of the Pittsburg Coal
Company, one of the largest companies
represented in the joint conference. He was
expected at the Claypool last night, but a
letter was received saying he could not be
here until o'clock this morning. a small
delegation from Ohio reached the Claypool
at midnight The hotel is now filled, and
more or less difficulty is being met in finG-
ing rooms for the other operators who
failed TO secure quarters beforehand. The
representation from the PlttSburg district
Will not be as large this year as previously
because of the concentration Of a number
OF the companies.
The convention of operators and miners
which will meet this morning will be the
seventh joint conference that has been held
between the coal mining men of Indiana
Ohio, Illinois and Pennsylvania. The first
convention was held i'm Chicago on Jan. II.
1898. and was presided over by w. II. Hol-
comb, of Chicago. At this conference the
miners secured an advance in the mining
rate, the following base rates being estaD-
lished: Pennsylvania and Ohio. SO cents per
ton for lump coal; Indiana, bituminous, %
cents for lump coal per ton; 40 cents per
ton run of mine 76 cents per ton for block
cOal Illinois, with Danville as basic point
40 cents per ton, mine run.
The second conference was hello the next
year i'm Pittsburg on Jan. IL, and was
scale of the previous year was reaffirmed
FIRST TINE HERE.
indianapolis was the meeting place Of
the third conference, which was presided
over by w. S. Boyle, of Indiana. 1t was
held on Jan. % and was in session until
Feb. 3. At this conference the miners Sc
cured another advance of IA cents for lump
and cents for mine run, making the scale
as follows: Pennsylvania and Ohio and the
block district of Indiana. lump, 50 cents
per ton; Indiana bituminous. mine run, 40
cents per ton: Indiana bituminous. lump,
80 cents per ton; Illinois, 40 cents per ton.
The fourth convention was held in Column
bus, o., Jan. 81, 1901, and was presided over
by Walter j. Mullins, of Ohio. The con-
vention was in session until Feb. 8.
G.. w. Traer was chairman of the joint
conference of 1902 which was held again in
Indianapolis. At both of these conferences
the scale of 1900 was reaffirmed
At the conference of 1903 the miners once
more secured an advance The meeting
presided over by G. w. Traer, of Illinois.
The advance given the miners amounted
to 10 cents for lump and cents for mine
run, setting the present scale which Is as
follows: Pennsylvania, Ohio and the block
district of Indiana, lump coal, 80 cents per
ton; Indiana bituminous, mine run, 90
cents per ton; Indiana bituminous lump, 80
cents per ton; Illinois bituminous, mine
run, with Danville as basic point, 90 cents
per ton.
At the first conference, held in Chicago, Nj.
ID. RatchfOrd, then president of the United
Mine Workers, led the fight for the miners.
He was assisted by John Mitchell, who be-
came his successor as president OF the
miners organization. Since 1899 Mr.. Mitchell
has guided the forces of the miners in the
annual conference.
a previous effort was made t.. bring the
operators and miners together many years
before they finally met in a convention hall.
1t was in 1856, when a call for a joint con-
ference was issued by William =. Rend,
of Chicago, who TO this day is a faithful at
tendant at the conferences. However, the
call was not we'll received and the confer
ence amounted to naught.