Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-03-29
1t Provides for Payment of 1908 Prices
for Two Years.
NIRs WILL MEET THIS MORNING
Question Of Endorsing Their President s
Action to Be Considered.
SPEECHES BY SEVERAL OPERATORS
Mine Owners from Illinois, Indiana
and Ohio say They Cannot AROrd
to Pay the Advance
Demanded.


! INDIANAPOLIS, March 2S.-The join
conference Of the coal miners and operators
| Of the central competitive district ad-
| iourned today until tomorrow afternoon at
2 o'clock with no settlement Of their wage
differences reached and apparently with
! none in prospect.
A motion to continue the present scale
for two years made by the operators was
defeated by the solid vote OF the miners.
! An amendment TO President Mitchells mo-
tion to restore the scale of 1903. offered by
| +. L. Robbins Of the Pennsylvania opera
| tors, that it be made effective for two
years. was accepted by Mr. Mitchell sub
ject to ratification by the miners national
convention. which will meet tomorrow
morning to consider the question.
This was the only action taken during
the day The rest was argument, during
the course OF which great earnestness upon
the part of the miners and both factions
of the operators was shown. President
Mitchell charged that many coal companies
are owned by railroads and the profit on
coal is not indicated by the books of the
| coal companies, as much Of it is absorbed
by the railroads He announced that the
miners would continue in the future 20
ask for more wages II the market justified
and stated positively that the miners would
| adhere 10 their demand for an increase at
this time. Operators of Illinois, indiana
and Ohio speaking through a. ]. Moores-
! head of Illinois who said he thought Illi-
nois should break away from the inter-
state agreement; H. N. Taylor OF Illi-
nois. r. r. Hammond, Chairman Winder
and Secretary Bent of the Illinois miners,
reafirmed their refusal TO pay advance
f. l.. Robbins of Pennsylvania offered to
.-fr, -,Ixr g.,
mines OF the Pittsburg Coal company, but
in his own mines in Pennsylvania, Ohio
and Illinois, and urged the miners to sign
the scale wherever It was offered, even
through the mines of the other operators
should lie idle.
Hints OF Arbitration.
There were a number of suggestions and
hints at an arbitration commission during
the day. w. D. Kuhn OF the independents
operators made reference Of possible
l,committee appointed by the president. Mr..
Mitchell said In one Of his speeches;
want TO ask the operators of the
Pittsburg district If they are in accord
with the suggestion as TO an investigation?
want to ask Mr.. Winder and the opera
tors of Ohio and want to ask the opera
tors of Indiana If this contemplates an
investigation as to the relative cost of
coal I'm pick and machine mines?
]. II. Winder, chairman of the operators,
replied:
If there is TO be an Investigation upon
which the prices OF mining is to be hxed
and the relative differences adjusted be-
tween the various portions of the inter-
state movement, then ! think II would be
any questions that are pertinent thereto.
Answering the arguments made during
the day against an advance, Mr.. Mitchell
closed the debate for the afternoon with
the following statement:
The miners. so far as we are concerned
and no bloodshed. We may. II a prolonged
strike takes place, have hunger and we
may wear poorer clothes. we may endure
greater hardshps. but the miners are Just
as law-abiding and just patriotic as are
the gentlemen on your side.
Operators Motion Discussed.
The joint conference of the bituminous
coal operators and miners OF the central
competitive district met today in what was
generally understood TO be final effort -
reach an agreement on the wage scale -
Illinois Indiana, Ohio and western PENN
sylvania. G. w. Traer. the chairman. an
nounced that the question was on the sub
stitute motion offered by ]. II. winder to
rcaffirm the present wage scale with condi-
tons as they existed when that scale was
adopted. the miners to pay the cost OF
mining loading. shooting and timberng.
A. J. Moorehead, OF the Illinois operators
spoke first for the operators. He said
operators would be pleased 10 pay the
miners an increase In wages. but It was
a business impossibility at this time,
you miners" said he, have the ad-
vantage over US. You can combine and
centralize your voting power upon a fixed
object or desired action. but II operators
combine we>are threatened with the peni-
tentiary. We could control the coal mar
a
buy up all the coal mines, but unfortun-
ately for you and for us. We have not the
money to do it,
Il want TO say" continued Mr.. Moore
head, that no operator will go farther
! than l will TO meet our employees. Wo
cannot control the markets. II is COM
} petitive condition beyond our power. Il
! may be true that in some parts OF the
country. western Pennsylvania, for in
: stance. they may be able to pay an ad-
vance. but / do know that in Illinois Il is
: impossible"
He said that miners IN the thick vein
mines could earn s. to $40 a day.
This statement was received with laugh
ter by the miners, which brought a rebuke
from the chair.
Would sever Interstate Agreement.
But" said he, "a man in Illinois Is
not able to do the best he can for himself
and family. lie has been restricted and
prevented from realizing his full earning
power and making from ti25 10 $50 a
month. The miners in my district are
. permitted to work only FIVE OF six hours
day
we in Illinois believe tho time has come
TO sever this Interstate agreement. Our
affairs had better be settled alone, We
3 had better work single handed than be in
D an interstate convention. We had better
. be employed in meeting with our owR
o miners and put in our time in that state.
@ The gentlemen from Pennsylvania and
e from Ohio have different market eondi-
q tions-diherent coal. almost everything
n different from us in Illinois. Their wants
: are rarely our wants. Their troubles are
Y rarely our troubles. And Illinois would
I ,ot he here today n I had ragy way abasff