Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-04-04
NO INDICATION OF AVOIDANCE
OF MINERS STRIKE.
INVESTIGATION PROPOSED
Commission Suggested to Ascertain
the Cost Of Production of Coal
and the Rightful Share OF the
Workers-Both Sides Urged to
Hold Together.

operators Of the central district adj
journed yesterday until this after
noon with no settlement of their
Wage differences reached and with
mono in prospect so far as any indi
cations poirted.
A motion to continue the present
scale for two years was made by the
operators, and was defeated by the
solid vote Of the miners An amend
me4l to Nv Mitchells motion to re
store the scale of 1903. offered by FL
L. Robbins of the Pennsylvania op-
orators, that it be made effective for
two years was accepted by Mitchell
subject to ratification by The national
miners convention which will meet
this morning to consider the ques
ton
This was the only action taken dur
ing the day The rest was argu
ment, during the course Of which
great earnestness upon the part OF
the miners and both factions of the
operators was shown Mitchell
charged that many coal companies
are owned by railroads and the profit
on coal is not indicated by the books
of the coal companies as much of il
is absorbed by the railroads. He
announced that the miners would con
tinue. in the future to ask for more
wages if the markrt justified, and
stated positively that the miners
would adhere to their demand for an
increase at this time The operat-
ors of Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.
speaking through A. ] Mooreshead
of Illinois, who said he thought Hi
nois should break away from the in
ttrstate agreement; H. N. Taylor OF
Illinois. r. r. Hammond, Chairman
Winder and Secretary Bent Of the
Illinois miners, reaffirmed their re
fusal to pay any advance,
Mr., Robbins Of Pennsylvania Of
fered to pay the advance asked not
only in the m.1cs of the Pittsburg
Coal company, but in his own mines
in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois,
and urged the miners to sign a scale
wherever it was offered. even though
the miners of other operators should
lie idle. J. B. Zerbe appealed to the
miners not to sign by districts. but 10
stand together. There were a mum
Der of sugge stions and hints at an
arbitration commission during the
day r. r. Hammond said that the
complications Of the coal situation
would never be understood by the
public until they had been examined
by a commission and he was willing
that the difference should be settled
by a commission. w. d. Kuhn, an
Independent operator, made reference
to a possible commission appointed
| by the president Mitchell said in
one Of his speeches:
Il want to ask the operators OF
the Pittsburg district if they are in
accord with the suggestion as to an
! investigation? want to ask Mi.
! Winder and the operators of Ohio,
and / want TO ask the operators oil
| Indiana if this proposed investigation
! contemplates an investigation as to
the relative cost of the production oil
coal in pick and machine mines
! J. Fl. Wnder, chairman of the oper.
| ators, replied;
| IF there is TO be an investigation
upon which the price OF mining is to
be fixed and the relative differences
| adjusted between various portions OF
the interstate movement, then think
| it would be proper to take into con.
| sideration all and any questions Per.
tinent thereto"
Mitcheii's Closing Statement.
Answering the arguments made
during the day against an advance,
Mitchell closed the debate for the
afternoon with the following state
ment:
The miners, so far as we are con
cerned, in case of a strike, win hav,
no riots and no bloodshed We may.
if a prolonged strike takes place.
have hunger and we may wear poorer
clothes. We may endure greater
hardships, but the miners are Just as
law abiding and just as patriotic as
are the gentlemen on your side.
r.. r. Hammond of the operators
said:
Now there are reasons on this
side largely Of a personal nature.
why the reduction was made two
years ago. At that time I was gen
eral manager Of the Eastern Illinois
railroad Prominent operators came
to me and said Mr.. Hammond. we
believe it is mistake to ask for a
.eduction. but there IL pressure being
brought To bear from certain direc
lions which we feel We cannot resist
got the impression from what
read IN the newspapers and from
what those gentlemen said to re
that they were getting a reduction Of
1--WE GEN. a ton in their coal. and 7
made them take II off Now, as a
coal operator I don't know how 20
get It bacl, again.
Mr. Robbins in his offer to pay the
advance. called the attention Of the
other operators to the fact that they
had made no concessions. He charged
that the men who had purchased coal
for the purpose Of making a profit
out of It were largely responsible for
this, and in closing said:
I'VE have cen able heretofore To
r,.. s-rr..