Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-04-14
OPERATORS MAY CHANGE
MiteheII Thinks the Owners Of the
Hard Coal Mines Will Modify Their
Proposition and Make 1t Such That
the Miners Can Come to An Agree
ment.

New York, April 13.-All the mem
bers Of the general scale committee
have LIT for their homes in the anth-
racite regions and will not be called
together again until after the opera
tors reply to the propositions submit
ted to them yesterday by the miners.
Mitchell Has Hopes.
In the face of the pessimistic express
sions Of some of the members of the
scale committee, President Mitchell is
hopeful Of peaceful ending of the
controversy. He believes the opera
tors will make an answer which will
permit a continuance of the negotia-I
tions instead Of abruptly ending them.
Iowa Operators Proposition.
Des Moines, April 49, (Special) -
The Iowa mine operators representa-
tives on the joint scale committee this
morning proposed to the miners that
the wage scale in the first sub-district
Fbe the same as in 1908. thus raising
the price of mine run three cents, that
of lump five cents and that of general
labor 5.55 per cent, and demanded inl
return that the operators be insured
againstaany stoppages of work by the
miners In violation of the SCALE. The
miners are now considering the propo-
sition, Ss So
8 The first sub.district includes Appa-
snoose and the adjoining counties in
Iowa md Putnam county in Missouri.
Machine Scale Settled.
The Joint scale committee consumed
all Of yesterday in the consideration
spf disputed points in the making OF .
scale for the First, or Centerville sub
district. But on4 disputed question
was disposed of, that being the scale
Tor machine mining at Mystic and Cen
terville.
The miners wanted differential be-
tween mine run and machine coal for
machine work and the authority toI
make the distribution to runners, shov-
elers, leaders and helpers themselves.
This system is in vogue in Illinois.
There the differential is generally Z
cents a ton in favor of the operator
On machine mined as against mine run
coal. In Iowa the custom always has
ners, helpers, shoyelers and leaders
!: have been paid stated sum for each
ton produced. After a dispute that
lasted half a day the miners finally
agreed to continuance Of the old sys-
tenn and the operators granted an in
crease on the old basis of 5.84 per cent.
This was the first concession coming
+ from the miners branch.
The Missouri Fight.
The question of mine run in Putnam
county, Missouri, was then being taken
sup, all coal in that sounty being mined
on this basis. Here the trouble is over
a claim made by the operators that
the miners want more than the 1903
scale. In 1904 it was agreed that in
K the joint conference that the price for
! two years should be 86A cents per ton.
The miners bolted the district and
Joined in what was termed "the Put
nam county rebellion defying both
the operators and the union. The re-
suit OF this was compromise by
which the men in the district received
80 cents, or only half the reduction.
The miners now are asking that the
{ advance of 5.84 shall be figured from
the S8-cent price instead of the price
fixed in the 1904 scale The operators
are insisting on restoration of the
1903 scale, which would amount to
89A cents ton, mine run, while the
price the miners ask would be 81
cents. This dispute was finally passed
until this morning to give both sides a
chance to caucus.
5- Top Labor Questions.
The third dispute was over the
question of price Of top labor The
same old contention that the 1903
scale is all that could be asked was
raised by the operators, who say that
the $1.SO and less labor was not
changed in the 1904 scale, received no
reduction and, therefore, is not en-
titled to an increase ON the proposal
to restore the 1903 scale
Pennsylvania Miners Resume Strike.
Pittsburg, Pa, April 13.-Twelve
hundred miners employed by the
Great Lakes Coal company at Kaylor,
Pa, struck today by order of the dis.
trict officials. The refusal of the
company to agree to certain conces-
sions included in the 1903 scale was
the, cause.
-s. Advertise fer Miners.
Pittsburg. April 13.-Some of the
Pittsburg district coal operators who
have signed the wage scale with the
miners are advertising for workmen
This is partly due to the fact that last
month, when shutdown seemed in
evitable, many foreigners decided to
visit their old homes and have not
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