Omaha daily bee., 1906-03-27
DEMAND SCALE OF THREE YEARS Aet
officials Say Acceptance Of Anything Else
Was Never Considered.
OPERATORS ASK FOR AN ADJOURNMENT
Another Meeting Will Be Held This Morn
ing, When Reply is Expected.
PREPARATIONS FOR SUSPENSION or WORK
Mining Companiey 4 Calling in
Account Rocks, 'rawinE
Credits and in T. = Nses
ThFeRtening Et
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. Mart

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, Mart :, =. O--
The United Mine Workers Of a,
through John Mitchell. presiden = y
organization; T. L. Lewis. vice D
OF the national organization. and n .an
c. Perry, president OF the Illinois miners.
today presented to the coal operators In
the executive session Of the Joint scale
committee Of the central competitive dts
trict their ultimatum In the dispute over
the wage scale. The demand Of the miners
is for restoration Of the wage scale of
1903. which is an increase OF 5.55 per cent
Upon the receipt of the ulumatum the
operators secured an adjournment OF the
committee until tomorrow morning, when
It is expected a definite answer TO the
miners will be given. II is anticipated that
this reply will be a refusal by the oper-
ators and the committee will report a
disagreement TO the joint conference Of
miners ana operators. The fight in that
case will be continued on the floor of the
Joint convention.
Little Prospect of Agreement.
Tonight there is as little prospect for
an agreement being reached as there has
been at any time. The morning session
of the committee today was without re-
suit After the noon adjournment. John
Mitchell. president of the miners. took
the floor and said he had been informed
there were rumors that the operators be-
lieved II they would stand firmly by their
position and prolong the sessions of the
joint scale committee the miners would
agree to sign the present scale and recede
from their demand for an increase in
wages. He said he wanted to explain to
the operators that under no circumstances
would there be an agreement at less than
the scale of 1908, unless after Disagree
Nnent the operators could enforce less terms.
and he did not believe they could.
Position of Miners stated.
4. J.. Lewis, vice president OF the United
Mine Workers, followed Mr.. Mitchell He
said he was surprised to learn that such
runors were afioat and continuing. said:
! want TO say more than President Mitch
ell has said. We will be divided neither In
This scale conference. out OF this scale CON
ference. In the convention or anywhere
slsfsa aaH & @ e s 8, asys ,s
where II is a case of wait to see who is
going 70 be able to divide the forces on
either side, then ] believe we are consid-
erlng very dangerous proposition.
have not treated the situation confronting
us in any frivolous manner. ] know what
] know what II will probably mean to mil
lions OF other people who are not directly
interested I'm these ques dons, or only in
terested TO the extent that II affects their
Interests when the miners cease work. l
have hopes that we may be able to find q
solution OF our present difhculties, but that
solution will only come when both sides
are ready TO sign a wage agreement car
can en the operators pay tRe isos scale? We
believe they can and there Is no reason for
our considering anything else.
II we leave this conference and a suspen-
sion of work takes place in the mining in
dustry OF this country IL will not be because
OF any personal differences between the op-
OF course, after we have ceased negotis-
ttons and arrayed our following on different
say what will develop. One thing is GER
tain. II personal differences arise. even dur
ing that stage OF the proceedings, they would
necessarily have to be eliminated before we
could get back face to face again unless
one or the other side is determined to an
nihliate the other 1 don't think as intellt-
nent men we have reached that point In
our deliberations yet
No Division of Illinois Miners.
Herman c. Perry. president OF the Illinois
miners. said he had heard Il rumored that
different interests had been attempting to
use their influence to bring about strike
notably the small operators and the Goa
dealers. who. he had been informed. were
supporting a lobby in the hope OF infien-
cling the operators TO force disagreement
lie intimated that other interests were us
ing the same means To this he added that
there positively would be no division ol
the Illinois miners and no mine would he al.
lowed to run even with an advance in wages
unless all the union mines in Illinois were
given the same advance. There was a short
discussion conducted in a friendly vein and
a motion TO adjourn until tomorrow morn
ing was adopted.
The feeling tonight f. that the mnerI
under no circumstances will allow any dis.
trict to sign even the advance scale de,
inandcd unless II is paid In all the foul
states Of the central competitive field.
Reports From the Mines.
Reports are coming from the miners
delegates from their local unions that the
. coal companies are taking preliminary
,, steps 10 get on a strike basis They ART
calling Ia the miners account books, ac-
c0rding TO reports; Withdrawing credit
from the miners at the company stores
pressing collections and in some cases
threatening eviction, Reports that this
companies are building stockades are with
out foundation, but the mines are being
put in the best possible condition for 4
shut down. Even should an agreement b,
reached for all aelds the bituminous anC
most OF the anthracite mines will clos,
oaNuihA9 AAteNtf many VI NilSiA " ANtiitlt
closed for sixty days. The local managers
are letting their men know this and u
many cases telling them that strike ma,
as well come as far as they are con
Gsrned
President Mitchell OF the United Min,
Workers OF America this morning denleS
a report that ne had requested an extcu
sion for sixty days OF the award OF IN,
coal strike commission in the anthracit,
Held. he said II have not taken tina
matter up al all yet. even 20 calling to
gether the anthracite committee, the mem
bers Of which are here"
Change at Huron College.