The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-03-23
Miners and Operators No Nearer Solution Than on feb. Z
FOUR PROPOSITIONS MADE
Each One Was Voted Down, However, and Lewis Says the Operators Will Have to Recede From
 Position.

Indianapolis. March 22.-After being Tn session the greater part of the day, the joint scale committees of the joint con- ference of the coal operators and the United Mine Workers of the central com= petitive and southwestern district, ad- journed late this afternoon until tomor- row morning. Divided on every proposi- ton that had been made during the day by either side, tkey were no nearer an agreement than they were on February 2 when the former joint conference dis agreed, and adjourned sine die.
 Every indication tonight pointed to d disagreement of the two joint scale com mittees tomorrow and the convening of the Joint conferences of the two dis tricts to receive reports to that effect.
 President J. H. Winder of the opera tors. admitted that disagreement of the joint scale committee of the central com petitlve district is probable Vice Presi- dent Lewis, of the United Mine Workers, said
 ''There will certainly be a disagreement unless the operators recede from their po sition."
 
 The Joint scale committee of the cen tral competitive district. compcsed of Illinois, Indiana. Ohio and western Penn sylvania. adjourned at o'clock this aft ernoon after being in session since o'clock this morning. During the afternoon four propositions were made in the meet ing, and all were defeated. President Mitchell of the mine workers, as soon as the afternoon executive session had be- gun, moved that the wage scale of 1903 be adopted for one year. In making this E. 1notion the mine workers receded from their former demands of a run-of-mine basis, differential of per cent an & hour day, an increase of 12h per cent in wages and prohibition of employment of boys at the mines under 16 years or age After brief argument this proposi- ton was defeated the operators and mi- ners voting by states. All the operators voted against the motion and the miners voted unanimously for it.
 H. N. Taylor, of the Illinois operators. then moved that the wage scale of 1903 be accepted for two years. providing the miners agree to pay the expense caused hv the shot-frers law in Illinois. This, 1t has been figured by the operators, amounts to cents per ton of mined eoal and on an average of fifteen mill lion tons of Illinois coal annually mined by the use of shot frers would amount to s300OO0 per year. This motion was de- feated by the unanimous vote or poth operators and miners.
 President H. c. Perry of the Illinois miners. moved that the 1903 scale, which Is an advance of 555 per cent over the present scale in the central district, and relatively in the southwest district, be accepted for one year, the operations of the shot firers' law in Illinois to remain as at present.
 This was defeated, the miners voting for it and the operators against it.
 Robbins Submits Plan.
 F. L. Robbins of the western Penn sylvania operators. moved the adoption of the 1903 scale for two years with the same conditions This was defeated by the operators of Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. who voted against the proposition. The western Pennsylvania operators and the miners voted for It. Under the rules the votes of the operators and miners on all matters pertaining to the wage scale must be recorded a unit and the mo- ton was lost. At this point attention was called to the fact that the hour for ad- iournment had arrived and the commit tee adjourned until tomorrow.
 Earlier in the day the miners repre-
 
 sentatives moved that the Illinois shot frers' law be regarded as distinct mat ter to be settled by the district, but this was defeated by the operators, who took the position that it was an interstate ques- ton as it affected the competitive field. The miners made effort to have the differences referred to a sub-scale com mittee of four miners and four opera tors. but the operators would not agree to this. The western Pennsylvania oper- ators voted with the miners on the ques- ton.
 Every proposition made by either side during the day was defeated. and when adiournment was taken until tomorrow morning. it seemed impossible for the Joint committee to arrive at an agree ment. The joint scale committee of the southwestern district defeated the propo- sition of the miners for the appoint ment of a subcommittee, and also re- fused to exclude the stenographers from the room on motion of the miners. in order that proposition from the miners representatives might be considered with out record being made. This committee then took an adjournment until tomor- ,.nfr