Omaha daily bee., 1906-02-02
COAL MINERS MAY STRIKE
Ultimatum of the Operators is Unani-
mously hejected.
PREPARATIONS Mnvt FOR STRUGGLE
Final Session VIII BE Held This
Morning-Both sides Say
There viii he No
Concessions.
PREPARATIONS MnOt FOR STRUGGLE

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, Feb. 1.-The re-
jecuon or the counter proposition oHered
by me coal operators OF lne central co.u-
petltlVe district oy an almost Unanimous
vote Oh the national convention OF United
Mine WORKERS ana the adoption OF a reso-
luton offered Oy secretary W. ID. Ryan of
ILLINOIS, pacing the miners on record as
unit in refusing to sign an agreement
for any district until an agreement was
signed for ali districts under the jurisdlc-
ton of the United Mine Workers mas cre-
ated a situation which, in the opinion of
the officials of the miners organization,
will result in a disruption OF the Joint
agreement and possibly one of the great
est strikes OF organized labor the country
has ever known.
UItimatum of Operators.
The acton taken during a called session
OF the mine workers national convention,
which was called To order Immediately fol-
lowing a snort session OF the JOINT confer
ence of the operators and miners during
which the joint scale committee reported
that II had been unable to Teacn an agree
ment on any OF the principal questions
involved ana after l.. l.. RoDpIns OF Pits
burg, floor leaaer of the operators, mad re-
piled to President MitchelIs question that
the operators had no further proposition
to lay before the miners, concluding his
remarks with the statement that If there
was to be an interruption of the joint
agreement he wished the responsibility for
such a severance OF relations to be placed
upon the miners.
The counter proposition submitted by the
operators, which was said TO be their ulli-
matum. provided for their signing for an
other year of the present wage scale with
certain notifications TO reimburse the
Illinois operators for expense incurred I'M
der the shot firers' " bill now effective in
that state.
Immediately following the rejection OF
the operators proposal the convention set
about TO provide means for accommodating
4 strike fund of S6,5O0OOO in addition to
like amount now on deposit in the inter-
national, district and subdstrict treasures
OF the miners organizations.
Locals 10 Care for Dependents.
To provide for an emergency, Secretary
Wilson moved that per capita tax of 81
week be voted and that all districts take
care of the dependent miners within their
jurisdictions for at least six weeks He
said after that time he believed the inter
national organization would be in a posi-
tlpl W ldht Ndlt VI inc AFTER
the motion had been amended to substitute
ten weeks for the six suggested as the
time during which the districts should take
care OF their dependents, the matter was
referred TO the international executive
board with power TO act.
On motion of Delegate Burns the conven-
ton adjourned until tomorrow morning
In the meeting OF the joint conference.
which is scheduled for 8 o'clock tomorrow
morning, lies the only hope for settle
ment of the strike.
r. L. Robbins OF the Pittsburg Coal COM
pany said tonight that the operators will
not recede from the ultimatum delivered to
the miners this afternoon. II the miners
are OF the same temper tomorrow and the
operators make no further proposals the
only action remaining will be the formal
adjournment of the conference. and later
the same action will be taken by the con-
vention Of the mine workers.