New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-03-24
ROBBINS UNDER FIRE.
OHIO NAN LEADS ATTACK.
Operators Still an DeadlOck-MiRerS
Hear Quarrel.

Indianapolis March 23.-The deadlock be-
tween the coal operators and miners or the
| Central Competitive and the southwestern dis
tricts continued to-day throughout the meetings
of the two Joint scale committees, and when the
| meetings adjourned late this afternoon no agree
ment had been reached on the wage scale. The
differences seemed at the hour Of adjournment as
/ far from adjustment as ever. Both joint scale
committees adjourned to meet tomorrow morn
ing.
The discussion in the scale committee Of the
/ Central Competitive District to-day con-
fined to arguments among the operators on the
! committee and radical differences OF views were
heatedy expressed by them. The miners repre-
sentatives were for the most part auditors. An
effort was made to obtain from President
Mitchell an expression as to whether he held
the Ryan resolution to be in effect. This reso-
luton was adopted by the former joint confer
ence in January, and binds the miners not to
sign In any district until an agreement shall
have been reached in every district Mr..
Mitchell declined to commit himself
+. L. Robbins of the Western Pennsylvania
operators, the target to-day for several Wig
orous attacks on his position in favor Of paying
the scale Of 1903. which would mean an advance
of II per cent in wages in the district and
would comply with the demands of the miners.
One Of the most heated of these attacks
made by J. B. zerbe. Of Cleveland who spoke
for the Ohio operators. After paying his re-
spects to Mr.. Robbins. Mr.. Zerbe turned to the
representatives of the miners and said;
For the mere consideration Of dollars and
cents no strike can be justified and under no
circumstances any strike be justified unless
the benefits to be derived thereby far exceed
the misery endured the human energy wasted
and the property destroyed. With you il can be
only question of dollars and cents. You
now getting a fair wage and one with which
AZ he
but you are now demanding more; therefore. if
you order this strike, your position cannot be
Justified
The Ohio operators position is different They
are not now getting fair return for capital in
Eesteu ana tIe interest thereon. l0u demand
that they surrender a portion Of the returns
they now receiving. They have a right 20
stand for a fair return ana therefore are stand
ing upon a principle, and If a strike should
come they justified and the responsibility
rests wholly with you.
ROBBINS STANDS DEFIANT.
Mr. Robbins said on the floor that he did not
purpose to be dictated to by the operators of
Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. He said his position
was fair and just TO all interests; and the Pitts
burg Coal Company. which he represented. was
willing to pay the advance in wages asked He
said he was also willing to pay the advance at
his own mines in Pennsylvania Ohio and Il
linois, and he had received notice from an IL
linois coal company having output of one
lliIAlAoIl tO0 dludlly ludl IL ldu instructed It's
representatives 10 vote with him. Mr. Robbins
said the country would not permit a general
strike on the causes shown. He turned TO Presi-
dent Mitchell of the Mine Workers and said he
did not believe the officials Of the miners would
dare to refuse to allow the miners to work
where their demands were met
@. A. Magoon, representing the Western
Pennsylvania Independent operators i'm reply
10 question of Mr. Robbins, said that if the
Ptttsburg Coal Company paid the advance and
operated its mines the Independent operators OF
Western pennsylvania would do likewise The
dissensions among the operators became so
heated that the operators asked the miners TO
withdraw for al hour This was done and at
the end of the hour the operators asked for an
adjournment Of the committee until tomorrow
morning as they had not finished their discus
sion. This action was taken. The operators
continued in session for an hour longer and then
adjourned, after arranging for conferences by
states.
Leading operators this evening said that
nothing whatever had been accomplished and
the situation was exactly as it was at the be-
to be no way of adjusting their differences
The southwestern district accomplished moth
ing to-day. President Mitchell offered on behalf
OF the miners, to take the 1903 scale with 3 per
cent added, but this defeated by the Oper-
atOrs OF that district.
President Mitchell said he had set no time as
yet TO call the anthracite committee together
but a meeting might be held tomorrow
The members are here. The meeting will con
slider President Baer's letter accepting Mr.
MitcheHs proposition for conference, and viii
fix time and place for this conference to en-
deavor adjust the anthracite wage contro-
versy.