Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1906-03-29
AGREEMENT FOUND IMPOSSIBLE
AT CONFERENCE.
OPERATORS in DISPUTE
Some Employers Would Grant Ad-
vance of Wages and Others Declare
They Can Not Afford II and win
Not-Four Days of Useless Discus
sion.

indianapolis, Mar. 26.--After being
in joint conference through commit
tees since Tuesday afternoon the GOA
operators and miners are no nearer
an agreement upon wage scale tC
go into effect in one week than they
were when the former joint confer
ence adjourned in disagreement Feb
ruary 27. The present wage scale ex
pires next Saturday and unless an
agreement is reached by the miners
and operators before that time, 225,,
600 union Unanimous miners will be
called from the mines in the central
and southwestern districts.
The joint scale committee of the
central district adjourned Saturday
afternoon, after being in session four
days, to meet Monday morning, when
a motion to report disagreement
will be offered and it is believed will
be carried. A session of the joint
conference to receive this report will
according to the present program, be
called to meet Monday afternoon.
During the four days the operators
and miners have been in conference
not motion or proposition offered by
either side supon the wage scale has
been adopted The operators have
been confronted with serious dissen-
sions in their own ranks. f. l.. Rob
bins of the western Pennsylvania OPP
orators has agreed to pay an advance
of 5.55 per cent, which is the demand
made by the miners, but the operat
ors of Indiana and Ohio firmly refuse
to pay any advance. Under the rules
after the joint committee votes bott
operators and miners must be re
corded as units and this division o.
the operators has resulted in the de
feat of every motion not favorable t,
all of them.
Operators Out of Harmony.
The meetings of the joint seal,
committee have been marked by yer.
bitter words hurled by operators a
each other Mr.. Robbins has an
nounced that he intends to pay tn
increase in wages asked by the mi 4
ers, not only in the mines of the Pitts
burg Coal company, of which he i
president, but also in his own mine
in western Pennsylvania, Ohio an,
Illinois. The Independent operators 0
western Pennsylvania, represented b,
G. A. Magoon, have announced
through him that they will pay the ad
vance If Mr.. Robbins does. Other in
dependent mine owners have signifiet
their intention TO pay the advance 4
those in their district do so. Those o.
Illinois, Ohio and Indiana declare
that they cannot afford to pay any ad
vance whatever, and President Mitch
ell of the mine workers has firmly de
clared that no settlement will be made
unless an advance in wages is given
Whether officers of the mine workers
will allow the miners to sign the
scale and go to work in districts
where the advance is allowed is a
question the operators have tried in
vain to get President Mitchell to ans
wer The only expression he had
made on the subject was Saturday,
when he remarked in committee that
the course the operators were taking
might bring that situation about.
Union Might Not Consent.
1t is not certain that the national
convention of miners, which must
ratify any action taken by the joint
conference, would allow any district
to sign an advance scale and go to
work with other districts idle, even II
such action were Endorsed by the ma
tional officers.
1t is freely stated that both operat-
ors and miners are playing a waiting
game, as each side desired to tarow
upon the other the responsibility for
a strike. Mr.. Robbins Is doing all in
his power to force an advance In
wages in all states, but the operat-
ors Of Ohio, Illinois and Indiana are
equally firm in refusing to pay any ad-
vance.
When the joint scale committee re.
ports disagreement to the joint con-
ference, the fight Will be renewed
upon the floor and a fnality will then
soon be reached.
Operators and nIiners OF the south
western district will determine their
position after the discussion in the
central competitive district has come