Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1906-03-16
TO AVERT A COAL STRIKE
AN IMPORTANT CONVENTION OF
MINERS IN INDIANAPOLIS.

Over 1000 Delegates Representing l.
iel Locals in Attendance conven-
tion Called by President Mitchell to
Seek Agreement with Coal Operators.
The national convention Of the Unit.
ed Mine Workers Of America opened
at indianapolis yesterday, with over
900 delegates, representing l,4ol To-
Gals. The convention has been called
Inv President Mitchell 10 consider ae.
ltion which may result in an agreement
with the coal operators that VIII pre-
vent general strike, that would bfing
425 600 men from the mines on April
In. The conference with the operators
will begin at indianapolis Monday. Al
the last miners convention, early IN
February, strike on April ] seemed IN
evitable The miners formulated their
demands. which included an increase
in wages of l2 1-2 per cent. and an
eipht.hour day, and which were re-
fused by the operators at the joint con
ference, and adopted resolution that
no district should sign wage agree
ment until all the districts signed. TINS
resolution will come before the con-
vention for action. Unless 1t is re-
scinded. the bituminous miners cannot
sign wage agreement until the an
thraeite miners sign an agreement with
their operators.
The operators, on the. other hand,
demanded reduction Of from 10 to 10
per cent. protection against stampede
strikes and a better system OF adJudi'
eating local troubles.
Since the adjournment Of the former
convention President Mitchell has con-
ferred with +. l.. Robbins and other
LEADERS of the operators and following
the reception of letter from Presi-
dent Roosevelt addressed TO both Mr.,
Robbins and Mr.. Mitchell, the miners
president called this convention ana
the operators were called for JOINT
conference Ii was announced at the
time the call was issued that Mr.. Rob
bins and other operators had made an
offer TO restore the wage scale of two
wears ago. which would be an advance
lof $50 per cent. over the present scale.
The coal operators of the Pittsburg
district met Friday TO unite on some
definite policy for presentation at the
Joint conference Monday.
The reply of the coal operators to the
demands Of the anthracite mine work
ers was made public at New YORK
Monday. The operators state that
present conditions are the findings OF
IA board of arbitration composed OF
non.partisan men and that they formed
a board of coneiliation before which all
differences should be brought ii they
could not be settled between the
parties themselves and, second, that no
new questions have arisen since the
findings of the board of arbitration
and. therefore. their decision should
not be disturbed or ignored.
They say:
1--WE stand unalterably for the open
shop. and again decline to make an
agreement with the United Mine
Workers of America, an organization
controlled by rival industry. -
On an eight-h hour day the operators
reply:
'sWe know of no change in condi'
Itions that can be used TO sustain this
renewed demand for an eight-hour day
On the other hand, the expectation OF
, the commission that the reduction from
, ten hours to nine hours should not
result in any decrease in the output
, of the mines has not been realized.
, The operators show that the propo'
, sition to change the system of wages
, would increase the cost of the domes
tic sizes of coal sl.20 ton and say:
"We cannot increase wages without
! advancing the price of coal; and We
are not willing to advance the price OF
| coal
"Our proposition is, that the awards
made BY the anthracite coal strike
commission and the principles upon
which they were established by the
, commission, and the methods estab
! lished for carrying out their findings
, and awards shall be continued for ano
during a further term of three years
/ from the first day of April. 1906.
! The Pennsylvania miners are great.
/ excited over the refusal of the opera
, tors to grant their demands and threat
/ en- to strike April |.
In presenting the miners demands
, to the operators, President Mitchell
! Ioutlined the reasons upon which tn
r demands of the miners We're based al
| follows
n'We favor uniform scale OF
/ wages for men paid by the day, houl
or week because of the fact that mel
/ performing precisely the same char
\ acter and. indeed, the same amount o.
1 labor cannot work with any degree o.
I contentment while the compensation
received by them is not uniform. A
. the present time this condition exist
/ in the anthracite field.
!, ''We propose an increase of 10 pc
4 cent. in the rates paid to contract MN
4 ers for several reasons--tirst, the gen
4 eral industrial. commercial, and trad
. conditions of the country justify al
increase of wages to all classes of la
: Dor. The prosperity of the coal carry
: ing roads is Unprecedented, as is dem
4 onstrated by their reported earning
: and the enhanced value of their stocks
"We favor an eighthour workda,
t because eight hours is the standar'
5 working day of coal mine workers II
;. nearly all the bituminous districts o.
: our country, as well as in many of th'
!. mining districts of Great Britain an'
the continent. and eight hours is a
long as a man can work in a coal min,
t without doing injury to his own healtl
/ and consequently injury to society.
"We favor the system of weighin.
!. and paying for coal by weight. wher
: ever the conditions of the vein woul'
d make this system practicable, becaus'
!. Tthe present system, whereby coal i
e paid for by the ear, has given rise t.
i much discomfort owing to the variet
d sizes of cars now in use.
n ssWe favor a reconstruction of tn