The Springfield herald., 1906-04-06
STRIKE ORDERED
ANTHRACITE MINERS VOTE TO
STOP WORK.
OTHER MINERS DISAGREE
Crisis In Pennsylvania Coal Regions
Bituminous Joint Conference Ad-
lourns Without Coming to Decision.

Bituminous Joint Conference Ad-
journs Without Coming to Decision.
IndIanapolis.--The joint meetings Of
the bituminous coal operators and
miners of the central competitive dis
trict, composed of western Pennsylva-
mia, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, and of
the southwestern district, composed OF
Missouri, Kansas, Texas, Arkansas,
Oklahoma aud Indian Territory,
reached final disagreement Thurs
day night on the wage scale to go into
effect at the expiration of the present
scale April LIST, and the conference of
the central district adjourned sine die,
while the joint scale committee of
the southwestern district decided to re-
port disagreement to the joint con-
ference of that district Friday. 1t is
expected that this conference will at
once adjourn sine die without an agree
ment.
The action of the two conferences
will directly cause the suspension OF
work after Saturday of $4,000 miners.
unless something unforeseen, like sub
mission of the differences to arbitra-
ton, should intervene and indirectly
will affect zoe. 500 more miners, not In
cluding its effect on 100000 miners In
the anthracite field, who were Or
dered to suspend work Monday.
A national convention OF the miners
will be held Friday to decide whether
miners will be allowed to sign the ad-
vance scale demanded by them and re.
fused by all the operators with few
exceptions, and go to work, where the
advance is offered. Operators employ
ing $4,000 miners in the central COM
petitive field have openly offered to
pay the advance during the joint con-
ference sessions.
The wage scales of all miners. both
anthracite and bituminous, will expire
Saturday. except those in Tennessee
and Alabama, where the scale will eX-
pire In September.
The disagreement came after a strug-
gle lasting ten days, and not only dis
rupts the interstate agreement, which
has existed since 1898, between the op-
orators and miners. through which
wage scales and other differences have
been adjusted, but 1t affects 534 800
bituminous and anthracite coal miners,
who will suspend work after Saturday
unless something not anticipated or
foreseen intervenes in the interest OF
peace.
The final vote in the conference OF
the central competitive field, on which
the other districts base their settle
ments, was upon motion offered by
President Mitchell of the United Mine
Workers to adopt the wage scale OF
1908, which would have been an in
crease in wages of 5.55 per cent.
The operators of Illinois, Indiana
and Ohio voted against the PROPOSE
ton, which defeated it. and the dis
ruption of the conference followed.
Operators of western Pennsylvania
and the miners of the four states voted
for 1t.
Following the adjournment National
Secretary Wilson of the mine workers
said:
"-Therc is no likelihood of anything
further being done. This means sus-
pension of work. The national CON
vention of miners will meet Friday
morning The principal business will
be to decide upon IA general policy.
The question especially to be consid-
cred is whether the organization VIII
| permit miners to work in districts ana
mines where the advance demanded
is offered