The Paducah sun., 1906-03-22
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Indianapolis. Ind, March 22.-
The joint scale committee of the Joint
conference of coal operators and
miners central committee and the
southwest districts were in session
almost the entire day yesterday, but
nothing was accomplished toward an
agreement The committee of the
central field devoted its sessions to
a discussion of the Illinois shot firas'
law which the operators of that state
claim unjustly 1iscriminates against
them. as IT adds the additional ex-
penSe of two TO ten cents a ton on
mined coal. The miners refused TO
make any declaration upon the sub
ject and asked for a recess until to-
morrow that they might caucus.
Their caucus was devoted to dis
cussion a. to the best means of get
ting the argument in the joint com
mittee away from the shot-firers
proposition the wage scale and other
matters contained in demands by
them in the former joint conference
which adjourned February g.
The joint conference of the south
west district named a joint scale
committee and adjourned pending
its action President Mitchell said
he had not received a letter from
President Baer in reply to HIS prop
osition for another anthracite meet
ing and until he had received it and
submitted it to the miners anthra-
cite committee, he could not discuss
the time and place for the meeting.
That there is some expert wire
pulling going on there is not a ques-
tion of doubt Some of the leaders
in the movement to bring on a strike
are said to be in favor of peace. The
rank and file of the operators, how
ever. are completely at sea as to the
moves being made. Up TO the present
time. II is said, the peace party has
gained every point 1t has undertaken.
The fact is admitted that the oppo-
nents of amy kind of settlement are
unorganized.
Without their old leader they APP
pear to be at sea. In fact, they are
fighting among themselves. Every
operator seems to fear the others are
trying to injure him in some way.
The operators here represent millions
of money. They have great interests
at stake. This has made them suspic-
ious of each other.
w. II. Hasllns, who was deposed
as chairman of the Ohio miners
scale committee. has left the city.
President-elect w. III. Green, of that
state, was placed on the scale COM
mittee in his place. The incident
started the story that this was blow
to Mitchell by the Lewis followers.
But the miners deny this emphat-
ically. saying that Haskins was de-
posed because of the refusal to take
the other members of the committee
into his confidence. II was also said
that il was no more than right for
the new president, who takes his Of
fee April /. to be on the scale COM
mfttee. II a strike occurs he will
have to lead the miners.
1t was stated that miners repre-
sentatives on the joint scale commit
tees of the central and southwest
districts, decided to ask for submis-
sion of wage matters to sub-commit-
tees. These subcommittees will. IL
is stated. be presented with propo-
sition from the miners TO restore the
scale of two years ago i'm the central
competitive district and relative ad-
vance in the southwest district It
Is further stated a movement is on
foot among the officials of the Illinois
miners to propose to the Illinois OPP
orators that II they agree to restor-