Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1906-04-03
VOTE TO CONTINUE WORE FOR
OPERATORS WHO AGREE TO
OLD WAGE SCALE.
OFFER TO ARBITRATE
DIFFERENCES REFUSED
Believed That at Least Half of Own
ers Will Sign Demands of Men
Union Officials Meet to Plan Cam
paign.

:
fully one-half of the forces of the mag
journed sine die Friday, after author
izing the national and district officers
to sign a wage agreement with any
coal operator who would agree to pay
the scale of 1903 or it's equivalent for
a period of two years. This is an ad-
vance of 5.55 per cent. in wages in Illi-
nois, Indiana, Ohio and western Penn.
the southwest, composed of Missouri,
Kansas, Texas, Arkansas and the In
dian territory, where an advance OF
three cents per ton is demanded as the
1903 scale is practically in force in
that district.
Refuse to Arbitrate.
The convention declined an offer
made by the operators of Illinois, In
diana and Ohio to submit the wage
differences to arbitration Where a
coal operator owns mines in different
districts the scale must be signed for
all the properties at the same time be-
fore any will be allowed to run. The
action of the convention will bring out
of the mines of the country 509,5OO
men in the anthracite and bituminous
fields. These will remain on strike
until settlements have been signed by
districts or with individual operators.
By the conventions action the strike
area will be narrowed to so per cent.
of the bituminous field. The purpose
of the miners is to minimize the force
of the clash and eventually to under
mine the position of the operators by
allowing part of the miners to keep
at work all of the time while concen-
trating their efforts and earnings
where the opposition of unfriendly
owners is keenest
Executive Board Meets.
i The national executive board OF the
United Mine Workers of America met
Saturday to take up the details OF
managing the strike. 1t was empow-
cred to decide as to what work en-
pioyers will be allowed to continue
work at the mines to prevent the de-
struction of the property during the
suspension The convention cost the
miners organization $105,000 for per
diem and transportation and delegates.
Before the board went into executive
session at the national headquarters
of the mine workers members said a
formal strike order would not be is
sued, but at the close Of work the
men would leave the mines with their
tools and would not return until the
scale had been signed by the operators,
and they had been so notified by the
district officials. Members of the
board said that every step possible
would be taken to prevent violence,
and formal declaration to the miners
forbidding rioting or destruction OF
property and urging them to properly
conduct themselves, probably would
be issued. Members of the board said
they were in favor of issuing orders to
pumpmen, laborers and such men as
would be necessary to protect the
miner to continue at work providing
the operators would agree to pay them
the wages demanded by the union.
Believe Conference Will Fail.
The miners are now preparing for
the conflict with the anthracite own
ers. 1t is generally believed that the
conference set for Tuesday between
President Mitchell and his fellow
members of the anthracite miners
committee and George F. Baer and
his associates on The owners commit
tee will fail to result in an agreement,
and the 100000 or more anthracite
workers will joint the strike Of btu
minous men.
II, as President Mitchell and Opera
tor F. L. Robbins predict, 81 per cent
of the bituminous mine owners accept
the offer of the union to allow all
mines that sign the 1903 scale to op
crate, about 221, ZOO of tie 100000 BIZ
luminous miners will strike. These,
with the anthracite miners, will make
an army of 371, 900 men engaged in the
great struggle.
Hard Coal Magnates Implacable.
Baer and his associates, 1t is known,
are implacable in their hostility to the
union demands, and it is declared
that they would never have consented
to meet the miners Tuesday but for the
request of President Roosevelt and the
pressure of public opinion. They are
known to be eager for war. They de-
clare the request of the miners for an
advance is absurd, and make the usual
plea that they cannot make any money
under present conditions.
The miners, however, raise the same
points which were brought so effective.
ly against the bituminous operators by
President Mitchell and Operator Rob.
bins, who charged the owners with
forcing a strike through sheer greed
and desire to hold up the public b.
selling the huge quantities of Goa
they have stored up at famine prices
Huge Coal Stores on Hand.
Fully 100000 tons of hard coal arr
said to be stored within few mile.
of Philadelphia and New York, Will.
vast mountains of the anthracite fue
are In store at the mines and chic
depots OF the coal-carrying roads. Tn,
most OF this stock has been piled u,
as result of the mild winter and con
sequent falling off in consumption
Inc operators now see fine opportu
nifty to make up for the losses durin,
the winter, the miners declare, ant
Will not make any concession to tn,
union.
J Mitchell's View of Strike.
President Mitchell believes the ef