The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-03-24
OPERATORS ARE AT ODDS NsSension Among the
 Mine Owners. MR. ROBBINS SPEAKS HIS MIND Is Ready to Grant an Increase to
 the Men. Pennsylvania Man ia Willing to Pay the Scale of 1908 and Makes His
 Fellow Magnates Angry
 By His stand.
NR. ROBBINS SPEAKS HIS MIND

Indianapolis, Ind, March 23.--The deadlock between the coal operators and miners of the central competitive and southwestern districts continued throughout the meetings of the two joint scale committees of the joint con- ference today, and when the meetings adjourned late this afternoon no agree ment had been reached on the wage scale. The difference seemed at ths hour of adjournment as far from ad- justment as ever. Both joint scale committees adjourned to meet tomorrow morning.
 The discussion in the scale commit l tee of the central competitive district was confined entirely today to argu- ments among the operators on the com- mittee and radical difference of views were repeatedly expressed by them
 The miners representatives were for the most part silent auditors. An ef- fort was made to secure from President Mitchell of the mine workers an ex- pression as to whether he considered the Ryan resolution in effect. This resolution was adopted by the former conference in January and binds the miners not to sign in any district until an agreement has been reached in every district. Mir. Mitchell declined to com init himself.
 F. L. Robbins of the Western Penn
  day for several vigorous attacks on his position in favor of paying the scale of 1903, which would mean an advance of 5.55 per cent in wages In the district and would comply with the demands of the miners.
 One of the most heated of these was made by J. E. zerbe of Cleveland, wh0 spoke for the Ohio operators.
 Robbins states Position.
 MT. Robbins stated on the floor that he did not propose to be dictated to by the operators of Illinois. Indiana and Ohio. He said his position was flair and just to all interested, and the Pitts burg Coal Company. which he repre- scented, was willing to pay the advance in wages asked He said he was also willing to pay the advance at his own mines in Pennsylvania. Ohio and Illi- nois, and he had received notice from | an Illinois coal company having an output of 100000 tons annually. that it had instructed its representative to vote with him.
 Mir. Robbins said tho country would not permit n general strike upon the causes shown. He turned to President Mitchell of the mine workers and said he did not believe the officials Of the miners would dare to refuse to allow the miners to work where their dc- mands were met.
 c. A. Magoon, representing the Vest ern Pennsylvania independent mines. in reply to a question or Mir. Robbins said that If the Pittsburg Coal Comna- ny paid the advance ana operated It's mines the independeur operators of Western Pennsylvania would be com pelied to do the same una would do so
 DisaensiOms Among Operators.
 The dissensions among the operators of the committee became so heated and so many statements were being made that 1t was thought probable 1t could be taken advantage of by the repre- sentatives of the miners that the opera tors asked them to withdraw for an hour. This was done and at the end of the period the operators asked for an tomorrow morning as they had net finished their discussion. The action was taken.
 After the general caucus. leading op- orators said this evening that nothing whatever had been accomplished and the situation was exactly as 1t was at the beginning of the yoInt conference. It was reported that the operators had come to the conclusion Io report to the miners representatives tomorrow that there could be no agreement on a wage scale and the committee might as well so report to q session of the joint con- | ference but this was denied by the op- orators themselves.
 The southwestern district accom- plIshed nothing today. President Mitchell offered on behalf of the min- CTS to take the 1903 scale with thres per cent added but this was defeated by the operators of that district.