The St. Louis Republic., 1904-11-04
Operators, Engineers and Miners
to Meet at Springfield to
Adjust Differences.
MINERS RETURN TO WORK.
Action of Board Meeting Yester-
day Is Secret. but 1t Is Be
lieved a Decision Was
Reached.
Rrp1rRIIc SPECIAL

REPUBLIC SPECIAL.
Springfield. ILL.,, Nov s.-The operators.
miners and hoisting engineers will hold
Joint conference here tomorrow after
noon. which It is expected. will deter
mine the future conduct Of the existing
strike Of the engineers. 90
The call for the conference resulted from
the meeting Of the Executive Board Of the
United Mine Workers, with the seventy
six subdistrict presidents Of the miners
here to-day.
The conference was secret, and nothing
was given out concerning 1t. However. 1t
is known that the miners have a line Of
action along which they are working. and
II they seem to hold the whip hand In
the strike. probably will dictate the final
termination Of the engineers struggle.
The miners first contention Is that the
engineers afiiliate with the United Mine
Workers. and after that arbitrats their
differences with the operators.
The miners do not favor the present Rus
pension at a busy season, and want to
return to work II the engineers will not
affiliate and arbitrate, It IL almost GER
tain the miners will return to work, lear-
ing the operators to hire now men to
hoist the coal. The only restriction will
be from the State law, which provides for
licensed engineers.
The operators say the State law will not
trouble them In securing new men, be-
cause there are hundreds Of licensed en-
glneers who have not been able to secure
engineering jobs, and these men will be
willing TO work, and will join the United
Mine Workers.
President o. L. Garrison Of the Illinois
operators Association at once accepted
the request Tor conference. President
MACK Taylor Of Danville accepted the con-
terence invftation for the engineerA
$500 RETURN TO WORK.
Chicago. Nov. Sword reached Chicgo
to-day that 4,5oo mine workers have re-
turned to work In the soft coal mines at
Minonk. Rutland and Marouett, engineers
having been secured to take the places of
the hosting engineers on strike at those
points.
Three thousand men at Spring Valley are
also reported to have been given employ
ment The engineers are said to have been
recruited from the ranks Of the United
Nine Workers.
LIrCHEIELD CONDITION SERIOUS.
REPUBLIC SPECIAL
Litchfeld. ILL.,. Nov. :.-The effect of the
hoisting engfneers' strike has reached an
alarming point for the city of Htchfield.
1t is estimated that 1t now amounts to a
loss of $1,000 per day In wages alone to
say nothing OF the loss in profits and the
inconvenieces to the users Of soft coal
The strike situation here remains un-
changed, the contracting parties being mo.
nearer an agreement now than before the
strike. The third day of the strike sees
the s,, Finley E she9f,eld ,bSttle ghss w9rl,s
skilled out of employment. The pay ron
OF this one factory amounts to H.900 per
week. =,
Unless coal is rushed to the local plants
every factory. In the city Will, be shut
a factory here has enough coal on hand
to run a week. Inc Ltchfleld Tile Works
is on the verge of closing for the want of
coal, it is stated.
The miners claim that they are willing
to go to work Immediately If they had an
engineer. But at present there Is no 'lilzeli-
hood of a resumption Of work.
The scarcity of coal may be noticed
when. out of the forty coal mines in this
immediate section. but one. and that at
Coffeen. is In operation. locally not a
bushel can be bought at any price
SIGN TEMPORARY SCALE.
REPUBLIC SPECIAL
Duquoin, III, Nov. S-Several Of the
local mines operators have signed a tenn
porary scale for their hoisting engineers
and are working to the full capacity The
operators have refused to meet the de-
mands of their engineers. There Is a strong
sentiment in favor of afiliation. though
the miners are evidently not in sympathy
DOES NOT AFFECT EQUALITY.
REPUBLIC SPECIAL
Equality, H., Nov 5.-The hoisting. en-
gineers' strike will not affect this field.
All shipping operators have signed the
scale.