The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-28
OPERATORS AND MINERS
GRID Up THEIR LOINS
FOR THE GREAT CONTEST
Annual Session of the Joint Wage
Conference Will Open at the
ClaypOol To-Day.
MORE. OPERATORS ARRIVE
Unusual Interest in the Battle
Royal Between Mine Owners
and Wage Farmers.
NAMING OF COMMITTEES
Selection Of Men Who Will Repre-
sent Both Sides of the Struggle
Opinions Expressed.
MORE OPERATORS ARRIVE.
NAMING OF COMMITTEE


cases and grips. reached the CIaypool Hotel
at O'Clock last night and straightway pro-
ceeded unceremoniously 10 make things
lively around the hotel lobby. They were
the rear guard of the Indiana operators,
who had just arrived for the annual joint
wage conference, which will begin this
morning. between the companies and the
miners OF the competitive States-Indiana.
Illinois. Ohio and western Pennsylvania. AL
though they Travelled the least distance, the
Indiana operators were the last to arrive.
However. there were delays in almost every
case, caused by the heavy snowstorms which
brought trouble to most of the railways.
A large delegation of operators from Illinois
reached Indianapolis yesterday afternoon,
while the coal men from Ohio and western
Pennsylvania arrived early yesterday morn
ing
The headquarters Of the operators will be
at the ClaypooI Hotel, although some of
the Ohio delegation are stopping at the
Denison. where they held a meeting last
night The meetings of the joint confer
ence will be held in the auditorium of the
Ciaypool and will be attended on the open
ing days by over $50 operators while as
many as five hundred miners are remain
ing for the event. At the Claypool last
night there were about fifty operators from
the Indiana mines and about the same
number from Illinois, while Ohio and
western Pennsylvania are represented by
forty or forty-flve coal magnates. How
ever. after the conference is we'll started
many of the operators will leave, as each
State appoints committees and leaves the
transaction Of all business 10 them.
WILL MEET TO-DAY
The joint conference will be called to
order this morning at 10 o'clock in the Clay
pool Auditorium. The permanent chairman
of the conference will be appointed by the
Indiana operators. Mayor Hoffman is ex-
pected to welcome the operators and the
miners as they meet together. The miners
will occupy the right side of the hall and
the operators the left side. Each State
will be allowed the same number of votes.
i. e. four votes for the operators and four
votes for the miners of each State. Each
State will likewise have four operators ana
four miners on the scale committee. The
order OF business will be:
First-Report of credential committee.
Second-Appointmen of scale committee.
Third-RepOrt Of scale committee.
Fourth-Disposal of the report of the
scale committee.
The conference will meet daily at a. m.
and D. m and adjourn at II noon and 5
d. m 1t will continue until all business at
hand is completed, which will probably be in
eight ten days
From the present outlook, delegates say,
the conference this year will be a long fight.
The general signs point to reduction in
the competitive fields, despite the position
taken by the miners reduction, ii is
stated, is necessary as the result of pres
ent conditions in the coal fields of the East
IL is understood that the Pennsylvania and
Ohio operators will have to make reduc-
R0- - Wt.,4
limits of their boundaries a cut is being
made I'm wages. This is especially true in
Virginia, where a great many OF the miners
are not members or the organization and
where a reduction has not been met by
strikes. On account of this cutting just
across the line the Pennsylvania and Ohio
operators cannot compete with the compa-
nies making the cuts there will be an
equivalent cut in the price of coal. Hence
II is necessary that they make a reduction
themselves or operate at loss.
MUST APPLY TO ALL
AS Indiana and Illinois are in the same
competitive field with Ohio and Pennsyl-
vania, IT follows that reduction In one
State or two could not be made unless fol-
lowed by reduction in all. Therefore if a
reduction is made by Ohio and Pennsylvania
men. the operators OF Indiana and Illinois
will have TO cut wages in order TO COM
pete with the two Eastern States and hence
there would be general reduction through
out the competitive fields. The miners have
said that they will not consider reduction
OF any kind, and although their new scale
does not ask for an increase in average
wages, II asks for many improvements.
Should il happen that the Ohio and Penn
sylvania operators refuse to grant the con-
ditions of the new scale. or even the present
scale, but insist upon reduction. IL is prob
able that a great strike will result through
out the competitive fields
The whole fight of the joint wage confer
snce centers about the scale TO be
agreed upon for the ensuing year The
operators vest their power in certain COM
mittees selected for the purpose. The
Pennsylvania and Ohio operators have not
yet announced their national scale COM
mittees. but il is said the Pennsylvania
delegation is headed by Francis l.. Rob
bins. Major @. W. Schluederberg, o. A.
Blackburn and w. w. keefer. At the head
of the Ohio operators are Hon. II. L. Jack
son and j. ii. Winder.
INDIANA REPRESENTATIVES
The Indiana operators have appointed the
following to represent the bituminous and
block coal interests: w. S. Boyle, Theo
Kellar. Henry Hafer. John X. Seifert, Chi
cago; A. NJ. Ogle NJ. L. Gould. Indianapolis;
II. NJ. Ferguson. Clinton: Joe Martin. Val
entine Martin, Rosedale; Frank Urban.
Montezuma: ]. Smith Talley, r. S Ten
nant. Hugh Shirley, Terre Haute; John S.
BAYS Sullivan; Joe Freeman Linton: I
land j. WoolIey. Evansville, and c. Martin,
Montgomery
The Illinois Operators Commission Is rep
resented by Herman Justi commissioner,
and G. L. Scroggs, secretary OF the commits
sion The members OF the executive board
OF the Illinois Coal Operators Association
and it's officers constitute the general scale
committee OF the State. The committee is
as follows:
Oficers-O. I. Garrison, president: J. A.
Agee. vice president. +. 7. Bent secretary
Executive board-O. l.. Garrison chair
man: G.. l.. ScrOggs. secretary First dis
trict-H. n Taylor. Chicago. Ill: a u.
Sweet. Chicago. Ill. ;. n. Dalzell. Chicago
Ill Second district. H. Garaghty. Chi.
cago. III. Michael Kelly. Danviile IN
Third district-H- c. Adams Chicago III
Edwards Brown. Springfield. H.: Lee Kin
caid. Athens. III. Fourth district-J d
Crabb, Litchheld. III. +. w Lukins Vir.
den. H.: Walter Puterbaugh. Pana Ill
Fifth dIstrict-E. c. DOnk, ST Louis. Mo,
j. c. Muren. St Louis. Mo; a. j. Moors.
head. 81. Louis. No. Sixth district-C. c
Davis. Centralia. H.: W. II. Greenwood
Du Quoin. H.: r. d. secor. Odin. III. sew
enth district-F. 5. Peabody, Chicago. mi.
NJ G. Wright Cairo. H.: w. s Wilson
Pinckneyvilie. III. Eighth district-Richard
Newsam. Peoria. H.; G. ". Traer. Chicago
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