Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-03-30
INT CONFERENCE FAILS TO AGREE
Miners Proposition for Two Year Contract
is Rejected,
FEW OPERATORS OFFER TO ACCEPT II
Meeting Today viii Determine Whether
Their Miners Will Continue Work.
ANTHRACITE MEN WILL ALSO co OUT
District OmciaIs order work Suss
pended aud Ask Operators to
Meet Them. Tuesday Morn
Ing I'm New York.

Meet Them, Tuesday MORN
ing I'm New York.
INDIANAPOLIS, March 29.-Thc joint
meetings of the bituminous coal operators
and miners of the central competitive dis
trict, composed of western Pennsylvania,
Ohio Indiana and Illinois, and of the south
western district, composed Of Missouri,
/ Kansas Texas. Arkansas oklahoma and
I indian Territory, reached final Disagree
ment today on tho wage scale to go into
/ effect at the expiration of tho present scale
on April I, and the conference OF the cen-
trail district adjourned sine die while the
Joint scale committee OF the southwestern
district decided TO report "A disagreement 10
the joint Conference of that district tomor-
row. II is expected that this conference
will at once adjourn sine die without an
agreement The action of the two confer
ences will directly cause the suspension
rom work after Saturday Of 17s,OOO miners
unless something unforeseen. like submis-
sion Of the differences to arbitration, should
intervene: and indirectly will affect 2O6,5oO
more miners not including its effect on 49,"
900 miners in the anthracite field who to-
night were ordered to suspend work Nom
day.
Miners Meet Today.
A national convention of the miners win
be held tomorrow to decide whether miners
will be allowed to sign the advance scale
demanded by them and today refused by all
the operators with few exceptions. ana
go to work where the advance is offered.
Operators employing 5000 miners In the
central competitive field have openly Of
fered to pay the advance during tho joint
conference sessions. The wage scales of
all miners both anthracite and bituminous.
viii expire Saturday, except those I'm Ten
nessee and Alabama, where the scale will
expire in September. A national official OF
the United Mine Workers said tonight; 1t
is a foregone conclusion that all the MIN
ers whose scales expire Saturday will cease
work until officially notified by the national
and district officials that contract arrange
ments have been made governing their
scales"
The bituminous miners affected directly
and Indirectly by the disruption Of the con-
ferences number 9S4,5O0. distributed as tol-
lows. Pennsylvania. e0O0Q: Maryland.
ooo, West Virginia. $4,000: virginia, i5.coO;
Ohio. 10000: Indiana. 5000; Illinois. $1,000
Iowa, 14OO: Michigan $500; Kentucky
1900. and the southwestern states, 10000.
OF these 10000 are unorganized
situation in other states.
All districts nave in the past based their
settlements on the result in the central
con,netitiye field. The situation in the
other districts is as follows;
.The Iowa district has always awaited
the action Of the central field before set,
tling It's settlement has been postpoheu
r / awaiting the action taken today.
! The Michigan district is usually gov
erned by the central hsld o,ing aeelIn anu '''''
The West Virginia state convention IS
in session awaiting the result OF this con-
Tbe Kentucky Operators association has
representatives endeayoring 70 ger Mr.
vention with a View to negotiate a settle
ment without any reference as 10 basis.
The consent had not been given this
Central Pennsylvania is governed largely
by the central district an dorders nave oeeh
( given to cease work Saturday night pend
, ~ The southwest district has heretofore
followed the central district, as u 9lu TO-
$ day in failing to agree upon scale.
Two years scale Rejected.
The disagreement came after struggle
g lasting ter days and not only disrupts
4 the interstate agreement which has ex-
n listed since 1895 between the operators and
0 miners through which wage scales and
y other differences have been adjusted. but Il
+ affects bS4 GOO bituminous and anthracite coal
: miners who will suspend work after Sat
=; urday unless something not anticipated OF
= unforeseen interyenes in the interest OF
peace
The final vote in the conference Of the
central competitive field, on which the
other districts base their settlements, was
h upon a motion offered by President Mitch
eli Of the United Mine Workers 10 ADOPT
the wage scale of 1903. which would have
been an increase in wages Of 5.55 per cent
The operators OF Illinois, Indiana and
: Ohio voted against the proposition. whicl
:, defeated 81. and the disruption Of the con.
ference followed. Operators OF western
q Pennsylvania and the miners Of the foui
a states voted or IT,
ia statement ny MIR. Wilson.
Following the adjournment w. B Wilson
"a national secretary Of the Mine Workers
n said:
r There Is no likelihood Of anything furthel
q being done. This means suspension Of wor :
" The national convention Of miners VI
u meet tomorrow morning The principA
Il business will be 20 determine upon gcn'
4 eral policy. The question especially 10 II
considered is whether the organization W.T.
V permit miners TO wort IN districts ant
mines where the advance demanded Is OF
, fered.
\ f. /. Robbins and other operators repre-
senting about onc-tlird OF the coal produc
ton Of western Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indi
ana aud Illinois, offered to pay the advanc'
and urged the miners to accent this AL
vance and continue work in their mine
h. even though the other mines IN tile fou
states should be idle.
a h Tho convention Of miners tomorrow vii
e take action upon this situation 20 decid'
(. whether 10 permit this or demand that ai
y miners suspend work until an have becf
u paid the advance.
J. A session Of the miners convention To-
p day formally endorsed tho demand for ih'
fTt..ff flrtt.
20 vote I'm joint conference fur this deman'
as their ultimatum. The Illinois. indianf
II and Ohio operators adhered 20 thcir posi-
ton not to pay any advance.
Coal Mines and Railroads.
The definite today WAS marked bv con