Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1906-03-29


through their proper officers yester
day afternoon, presented TO the coal
operators in executive session OF
the joint scale committee of the cen
trail district their ultimatum ON the
dispute over the wage scale.
The demand of the miners, as
stated in their ultimatum, is for
restoration of the wage scale of 1903.
which is an increase of 5,55 per cent.
Upon receipt of the ultimatum the
operators secured an adjournment OF
the committee until today when il
is expected that a definite answer
will be given 1t is anticipated that
this reply will be a refusal by the OPP
orators and the committee will re,
port disagreement to the joint con,
ference. The fight in that case will
be continued on the floor of the joint
convention.
There is now as little prospect for
an agreement being reached as there
has been at any time.
The morning session of the com
mittee yesterday was without result
After the noon adjournment, John
Mitchell took the floor and said that
he had been informed on reliable
authority that there were rumors that
the operators believed that If they
would stand firmly by their position
and prolong the sessions of the joint
scale committee the miners would
agree to sign the present scale and
recede from their demand for an in
crease of wages. He said he wanted
to explain to the operators that there
would be, under no circumstances,
of 1903, unless after disagreement
the operators could enforce less
terms, and he did not believe they
could.
T. L. Lewis, vice president of the
mine workers, followed Mitchell. He
said he was surprised to learn at the
present stage of the proceedings that
such rumors were afloat, and contin
uing, he said:
Il want to say more than President
Mitchell has said. We will be divid
ed neither in this scale conference
out of this scale conference, in the
convention or any where else, so far
as | am concerned. If we have got
to such a point in these deliberations
where it is case of wait to see who
is going to be able to divide forces
on either side, then l believe we are
do
sition.
Scale of 1908 the Minimum.
Il realize fully the present situa-
ton. | have not treated the situa-
ton confronting us in any frivilous
manner. l know what suspension of
work means to our people; / know
what it will probably mean to mill
ions of other people who are not di-
rectly interested in this question but
are interested to an extent that It af
fects their interests when the min
ers cease work have hopes that
we may be able to find a solution of
our present difficulties, but that solu
tion will only come when both sides
are ready to sign a wage agreement
carrying with it the prices paid in
1903.
Can the operators pay the 1908
scale? We believe they can, and
there is no reason for our consider
ing anything else. If we leave this
conference and suspension of work
takes place in the mining industry of
this country it will not be because
of any personal differences between
the operators and the miners
Bitterness May Develop.
"Of course after we have ceased
negotiations and arrayed our follow
ing on the different sides Of the ques
tion | am not prepared to say what
will develop. One thing is certain
if personal differences arise, even
during that stage of the proceedings
it would necessarily have to be
eliminated before We could get back
face to face again unless one or the
other side is determined TO annihi-
late the other side. | don't think as
1uNtlllSEuA iAlEH LiltI We nave ttdihCu
that point in our deliberations yet.
We are simply making known our
position in order that the rum ors re
ferred to win have no effect what
ever on the minds of the operators"
Herman c. Perry, president Of the
Illinois miners. said he had heard It
rumored that different interests had
been attempting to use their infu.
ences to bring about strike, notably
small operators and coal dealers who,
he had been informed, were support
ing the lobby in the hope Of infuenc.
ing the operators TO force disagree
ment He intimated that other in
terests were using the same means.
To this he added that there positive
" would be no division Of the Illinois
miners and no mine would be al