Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1906-04-12
PITTssuRG OPERATORS DECIDE
TO GRANT ADVANCE.
CONTRARY TO CONDITIONS
Market Does Not Warrant the Con-
cession, Operators Declare, But
Action Is Taken in the interests of
Peace-May Eventually Work In
jury to Miners Organization.

PlttSDurg, April 9.-Peace is now
assured in the miners situation so far
as the soft coal fields of western
Pennsylvania are concerned. The or
ganization of independent operators
who were holding out against grant
miners, at meeting last night, de-
cided to give up the struggle and will
sign the scale. All those at the
meeting were representatives of op-
orators who had bound themselves
not to sign the scale. A number Of
other members not present will, it
was assured, sign upon learning OF
the action of the meeting. At the
conclusion of the proceedings the
following statement was given TO the
Associated Press:
"A large number of Independent
operators in the Pittsburg district
have signified their intention of sign
ing the 1903 scale in justice to their
customers. In so doing they fully be-
lieve the action taken by the joint
convention in January at Indianapolis
was the correct position to take in
view of the conditions of the coal
trade for the past two years. They
believe conditions have in no way
changed since the January convention
that would warrant an advance in the
wage scale at this time. Mr. Rob-
bins, chairman of the Pittsburg Coal
company, at that convention and at
the recent convention, stated that
conditions did not justify an advance
in the wage scale. The independent
operators further believe that in
signing this scale it may work injury
to the Pittsburg district. It may
have the effect of ultimately estab-
fishing a differential against the
Pittsburg district in favor of the
western states. and by increasing the
wage scale in depressed market
and against the conditions of the coal
trade, it may ultimately work injury
to the miners organization ITSELF"
Operators Propose Arbitration.
New York, April 9.-Interest in the
labor troubles of the anthracite reg
ions was overshadowed yesterday by
the proposition that came out of the
west for arbitration Of the differences
existing between the soft coal operat-
ors who have not yet agreed to the
1903 scale and their miners. The
offer of the soft coal operators is iden-
teal, word for word, except where the
term bituminous is substituted for an
thracite, with the one President Mitch
ators here Thursday. There was con-
siderable speculation as to how the
miners leaders would receive his
own arbitration plan for another field.
He was much interested in the news.
but maintained his usual silence when
asked what he would do. Within On
hour of the receipt of the offer from
j. H. Winder, head of the Ohio soft
coal operators, he sent reply to the
effect that he had no power to act on
the proposition, but would submit It
to the international executive board
of the union at its meeting in Indian
apolis week after next
Leaders of the miners union who
were at headquarters yesterday did
not think the international executive
board would favor the proposition.
A member of the board said that the
conditions IN the soft coal regions
are much different from those in the
anthracite fields. He pointed out that
many operators had already signed the
1903 scale and that the number is in
creasing each day.
Nothing developed in the anthracite
situation yesterday to clearly indicate
what the outcome of next Mondays
meeting between the subcommittee
of the mine owners and union leaders
will be. There was no formal meeting
of the operators but most of them
were in communication with one
another. 1t was reported during the
day that the arbitration offer of the
miners would be fatty refused, but it
was denied by those in authority that
a final decision had been reached. 1t
was also reported that the operators
may accept arbitration but with a
| different sort of tribunal.