Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-07-01
JOINT AGREEMENT.
HOW PEACE Is MAINTAINED IN THE
SOFT COAL FIELDS.

siOn Yet to Come.
A vast army of more than $4,000
men is directly engaged in coal mining
in the United States, producing last
wear a total of 3OO,OOO,OO0 tons OF
these workers officials OF the United
Mine Workers of America claim that
nearly 100000, producing annually
about 2OO,OOO,OOO tons, OF two thirds
of the total coal output Of this country,
are organized i'll that union. More
than this they claim that fully IS per
cent of the total number of coal mine
workers are governed by the unions
scale of wages and work under Its con
ditiOns of employment and that fully
80 per cent of all mine employees In
the United States would 20 out on
strike if national suspension OF coal
mining is ever found necessary by the
United Mine Workers. The strength
of this organiza ton Of coal mine work
ers is confined largely TO the coal pro-
ducing area east of the Mississippi
river and particularly to the central
competitive territory, including Ohio.
Indiana, Illinois and western Pennsyl-
vania. In these four fields about l0O,-
600 mine workers are employed, pro
duciny annually GO,OOOOOU net tons of
bituminous coal. Through the inter
state joint conference plan adopted by
the coal miners and operators CT these
districts the wages and conditions OF
employment OF the mine workers are
agreed upon annually in joint conven-
ton.
This joint movement. which has
grown to such large proportions and
which seems destined eventually to
include all coal producing area Of this
country and perhaps of Canada and
Nova Scotia. had its origin AS far back
as 1885, The lack of a strong organ
ization among the miners, the rapid
railway development Of the central
coal producing states destroying old
and creating new markets for coal the
competition of the operators for these
markets and the opera ton of other
We'll defined forces prevented the
movement from being much of a sue
cess, however, down to 1858. In that
year. in consequence Of Il widely ex-
tended strike Of the bituminous coal
mine workers in 1897. the first of the
present interstate joint conferences
was held an6 has been continued each
year since then.
The seventh annual interstate joint
conference WAS held in indianapolis
in January, 1904
This interstate joint agreement or
contract settles many important ques
tons. 1t sets the basing point in each
state for determining prices to be paid
for work about the mines, fixes upon
2OOO pounds as ton for the entire
central competitive field included in
the agreement. recognizes two general
methods OF mininK-the screen and
run Of mine systems, agrees upon reg
ulation screens where the screen meth
cd ie in use esta blishes differential
,, between machine mining, between
thick and thin vein pick mines and
makes eight hours days work for
all classes OF mine employees. With
these questions agreed upon the mine
employees and the operators in the diff
ferent state and subdistrict conven-
tons are not troubled with these par
ticular problems. but are left free to
devote their attention to other ve1ing
questions which concern in particular
less number Of mine workers in
smaller area. the settlement of which
is none the less OF vital importance in
the reaching Of some kind OF agree
ment.
Because the operators and mine
workers in the states included in the
Joint conference enter into agreements
it should not be inferred that both
sides are perfectly satisfied with all
the decisions reached. This would be
expecting the millennium in the indus
trial world. Ever since the joint move
ment was inaugurated, as far back as
1886. there have been differences OF
opinion between the operators and
miners npon many questions OF com
mon interest. On not few Of these
questions they are still at opposite
/ points OF view. AS to the advisability
of uniform scale provisions for all four
states the miners favor and the opera
tors oppose such propositions There is
friction over questions growing out OF
machine and pick mining. the mine
workers claiming that nearly all the
benefits of machine mining go to the
operator. There Is always a coutroyer-
Sy in the conference over the run of
mine and screen methods OF weighing
and paying for the product of the min
erS' labor, the union insisting that the
miner is the sufferer where the coal is
screened before payment, Even today
there is contention between the two
parties as to the extent of the unions
control over outside employees the
operators persiSting in their claim that
such employees are "company' men.
The establishing and increasing of the
differential between machine and pick
mining has also more than once threat