Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1906-03-27
JOINT COMMITTEE
Still IN DEADLOCK
WAGE FIGHT OF MINERS AND
OPERATORS MAY BE TAKEN
TO CONVENTION.
ARBITRATION OF THE
QUESTION SUGGESTED
Proposition That Roosevelt Name
Board of Mediators-Illinois Own
ers Firm in Opposition to Shot
Firers' Law.


Firers' Law.
Indianapolis, Ind, March "a. = The
joint session committees OF the coal OPP |
orators and miners OF the central COM |
petitive and southwestern district |
went into executive sessions Friday
in a final effort to break the deadlock |
on the wage scale. Leaders of both |
operators and miners on the commit
tee said there was no change in tie
situation Neither side expressed any
confidence in an agreement being
reached in committee, and it was pre-
dicted that meeting of the joint con-
ference would be called some time dur
ing the day to take up the wage fight
in open convention.
Roosevelt May Name Mediators.
1t was reported before the joint
scale committee of the southwestern
district went into executive session
that the operators of that district had
decided to make a proposition to the
miners representatives that the entire
wage question for the district to be left
by President Roosevelt.
Every proposition thus far made by
either the operators or miners has been
voted down in the meetings of the joint
committees. The miners receded from
their initial demands for an increase
in wages of 12H per cent. run-of-mine
basis, a seven per cent. differential, an
eight-hour day and prohibition of the
employment of boys under Is years of
age, and offered to accept the scale of
1903, which would be equivalent to an
increase of 5.55 per cent. In wages in
the central competitive district and a
relative increase in the southwestern
district. This proposition was defeat
ed by the operators.
Shot-Firers' Law One Issue.
r. l.. Robbins, of the western Penn
sylvania operators, moved the adop-
ton of the 1903 scale with the same
conditions as existed at that time.
This was defeated by the operators OF
Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. The Hill
nois operators are standing firm in
their demand for relief from the eY-
penses entailed by the shot firers' law
in that state, and have defeated every
proposition that does not carry with
it this relief
Expect Strike Of 100000.
Although the miners and operators
met again Friday in joint session
through their scale committees, it is
said they cannot reach an agreement,
and that an enormous strike in the
soft coal fields is only nine days away.
On April /, it is declared, nearly 300,-
600 miners in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio
and Pennsylvania bituminous pits will
be forced to quit work. 1t is even pos
sible that 100000 or 100000 more men
may quit work if strike is declared
While the negotiations now in progress
are confined to the dispute between the
operators and miners of the four cen
trail competitive states of Pennsyl-
vania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, the
bituminous mining districts of less i'm
portance, such as Missouri, Arkansas,
Kansas, Texas, Iowa and Indian terri
tory will be drawn into the fight.
Await Result in Separate Meeting.
The miners of the southwest and
their employers are in separate con-
ference here awaiting final decision
in the larger council Iowa will be
guided in similar way. Besides all
this, 1t is certain that on the issue of
the bituminous conference depends the
question of a strike or peace through
out the anthracite fields. President
Mitchell is ready to call special meet
ing OF the miners anthracite scale
committee the moment disagreement
is reached at this conference.
At the meeting of the joint scale
committee late Thursday the operators
rejected compromise offered by John
Mitchell for the miners. The basis of
the proposal was the restoration of
the 1903 wage scale, which would mean
an increase of approximately 55.5 per
cent. Francis L. Robbins, of Pitts
burg, former leader of the operators,
was this only employer to vote with
the miners In favor of the scale. The
operators from Illinois, Ohio and In
diana voted solidly against it.
Will Try to Hide stubbsrnness.
It was to resume discussion iq such
q crisis, with no one having definite
plan for settlement, that the joint
scale committee reconvened Friday.
The opinion prevails that short meet
Ing of the committee will be held and
report framed to be submitted to the
joint convention stating that the OPP
orators and miners have agreed to dis
agree. The report, it is said, prob
ably will be couched in careful, tech
nical language, so that 1t will not ap-
pear on the surface of things that
either side has refused to copcede a
point to the other. The statement is
made by operators from each Of the
four states directly concerned that In
the event of a strike no attempt will
be made to operate the mines with non
union miners.
Historic Building Burned.
Montreal, Can, March 26.-The
Oakhall restaurant. on the corner OF
st. Peter and Notre Dame streets,
has been burned. The damage was
comparatively small, but the interest
In the fire exists in the fact that the
building was occupied in ITS as the
headquarters Of Gen. Montgomery and
STAFF of the American army in
Montreal.
II uyo11. X Act n-i,