The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-03-28
TRY ONCE MORE.
Miners and Operators Meet in Final
Session of Conference.

Indianapolis, Ind, March 25.-The
Joint conference Of the bituminous coal
operators and miners of the central
competitive district met today in what
was generally understood to be a final
effort to reach an agreement on the
wage scale in Illinois. Indiana, Ohio
and western Pennsylvania. Since the
adjournment yesterday no move had
been made by either side and the dead
lock apparently was as firm as at any
previous time There were no lndica-
tions that a strike could be averted.
G. w. Trear, the chairman, an
nounced that the question was on the
substitute motion offered by J. II. Win
der. to reaflrm the present wage scale
with conditions as they existed when
that scale was adopted, the miners to
pay the cost of mining, loading, sh cot
ing and timbering.
A. J. Moorehead of the Illinois oper-
ators spoke first for the operators. He
said the operators would be pleased to
pay the miners an increase in wages.
but IT was business impossibility at
this time You miners, said he,
have the advantage over us. You can
combine and eentraIize your voting
power upon fixed object or desired
action But If the opera tors combine
we are threatened with the peniten-
tiary. We could control the coal mar
ket and pay you higher wages If we
could buy up all the coal mines, but
unfortunately for you and for US. we
have not the money to do it,
II want to say" continued Mr..
HToorehead. that no operator will 20
farther than I viii to meet our en-
pl0yes We cannot control the mar
kets 1t is competitive condition
beyond our power 1T may be true
that in some parts of the country,
western Pennsylvania, for instance,
they may be able to pay an advance
but I do know that IN Illinois it is i'm
possible"
He said miners in the thick vein in
Illinois could earn from IS to $40
day. This statement was received with
laughter by the miners, which
brought rebuke from the chair
.'But." said he "a man in Illinois is
not able to do the best he can for him
self and family. He has been re-
strieted and prevented from realizing
his fun earning power and making
from S125 TO $3.50 month. The
miners in my district are permitted
TO work only five or six hours day
We in Illinois believe that the time
has come to sever this interstate
agreement. Our affairs had better be
settled alone. We had better work
siuEle-handed than be in an interstate
convention We had better be en-
ployed ia meeting with our own
miners and put in our time in that
state. The gentlemen from PennsyI-
vania and from Ohio have different
market conditions, different coal, al
most everything different from US in
Illinois. Their wants are rarely our
wants. Their troubles are rarely our
troubles And Illinois would not be
here today If I had had my way about
st. for I can not after two or three
years experience md that it is Of any
use to US. In fact, It looks to me as
81 we are only a troublesome class.
We are quite willing, much as we re-
HrHH+ NOT nnIW for ourselves HTTf for
the innocent consumer who must SUI
fer as well as you gentlemen who
must spend much of your dearly saved
earnings, to 90 away from here with
out an agreement. But Illinois has
been going back continually for eight
years. all for the sake Of peace"
John II. Walker, miners delegate
from Illinois, discussed conditions in
that state, arguing that they war
ranted an advance In wages