The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-03-30

tons relative to any condition that IS peculiar alone to any one district. We are not making district agreements. We are not negotiating for the districts We are negotiating for a national agreement and the only thing proposed in this 1903 was the 1903 national scale. not any dis trict scale.'
 Evans Explains His Views.
 Chris Evans said: My understanding of that proposition is that the cdNtral competitive field alone was under dis cussion yesterday and that all matters un- der discussion were in relation to states of western Pennsylvania. Ohio. Indiana and Illinois. l believe after that matter is settled we can and undoubtedly will consider all the districts in connection with the national organization"
 President Mitchell said "ln the south west at the various hasing points where coal is now paid for on run-of-mine basis it would mean an advance of 2 cents a ton Where coal is paid for on the screen coal basis it would mean a proportionate advance; that is to say, if your mine run price is 50 per cent of your screen coal price, then the cents ton would be increased 40 per cent. At the long wall mines in tue southwest, for instance at Leavenworth and a the other long wall mines in Missouri, where there is only about 10 per cent screening, 1t would necessarily mean a greater advance than cents a ton"
 The report of the transportation com mittee of the southwest district was read and President Mitchell announced meet ing of the anthracite committee for to- night. On motion the convention ad- journed to meet in joint conference with the operators at 2 o'clock this after noon.
 Left the Situation Unchanged.
 The failure of the miners in convention to take any action toward declaring whether the Ryan resolution prohibiting the signing by separate districts would be enforced or whether the miners of western Pennsylvania and of other states where the advance of wages if offered would be allowed to work while the miners of the operators refusing to pay the advance lie idle, left the situation unchanged prior to the assembling of the joint conference this afternoon, at the Germain house.
 The action taken by the miners con- venton was a mere formality necessary under the rule of their organizations in order that the miners as delegates in the joint conference could cast their votes In favor of the Mitchell motion in order to restore the wage scale of 1903, which Is still pending before the joint con ference. It was anticipated that this motion would be defeated when the vote was taken as the operators of Illinois, Indiana and Ohio have throughout adher- ed positively to their position that no advance would he paid by them.
 Regarding the significance of the ac tion of the convention, President Mitch ell said ''rhe endorsement of the ac- ton of the scale committee today simply gave the miners the right to vote In joint conference on my motion to restore the wage scale of 1903. Before any final action is taken, there must be another meeting of the miners convention"
 Joint Conference Convenes.
 The Joint conference of operators and miners of the central competitive dis- trict met this afternoon at the German house. When adjournment was taken yes terday afternoon the business before the convention was the adoption of the mo- ton of President Mitchell of the mine workers that the wage scale of 1908 be adopted for a period of two years as amended on motion of F. L. Robbins of the Western Pennsylvania operators and seconded by MT. Mitchell
 President Mitchell was applauded by the miners when he entered the hall. It was nearly 2.S0 o'clock when the joint  chelrs motion and the amendment of MT Robbins were read. Mir. Mitchell said that it was understood the motion applied to the basing points.
 He asked if that was MT. Robbins un- derstanding. It was learned that Mir. Robbins had not arrived at the hall and Mr Mitchell said he had some things he wanted to say He wanted to know if Mir. Parker was not president of the Madison Coal company and purchasing fuel agent of the Illinois Central Railroad company. He wanted the representatives of the Frisco Rock Island railway system to state what was the basis of the cons tract between the company and the llli- nois Steel company He wanted to know if it was not true that the contract pro- vided for the fiuetuaton in the price of coal according to the wage scale. Atten- ton Was called to the fact that the gentle man referred to was not present Mf Carl Sholtz said:
 "I have not seen the contract but l understand 1t does" MT. Mitchell: Has not MT. Hammond the same contract with the Illinois, Steel company that it is alleged MT. Robbins has with the United States Steel com pany?"
 MT. Sholtz; T have not seen the con tract, but l presume 1t is the same
 Sorry for Personalities. MT Parker said he was sorrysthe dis cussion was getting into personalities. He said while he held both positions, there was no relation between them. Turning to Mir. Mitchell he said: There was q