The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-03-31
WILL SIGN AT 1 1903 WAGES Miners Authorized to | Accept Scale. CONVENTION ENDS ITS WORKS so9,5oO Men Will Be Idle Next
 Monday. Proposltien From some of the opera- tors to submit easstions at Issus
 to Arblfratiop !. Turned Dewn.
CONVENTION ENDS ITS WORKS


 Indianapolis, March s0.--The national convention of the rnited Mine Workers of America adjourned sine die today after authorizing the national and district officers to sign a wage agree lncnt with any coal operator who would agree to pay the scale of 1908 or its equivalent for period of two years. This is an advance of 6.55 per cent. In wages in Illinois. Indiana. Ohio and Western Pennsylvania and all other districts except the southwest. conn posed of Missouri, Kansas. Texas. Ar kansas and the Indian Territory, where an advance of three cents per ton is demanded as the 1903 scale is practi- caily in force in that district.
 The convention declined an offer made by the operators of Illinois. h. diana and Ohio to submit the wage differences to arbitration. Where a coal operator owns mines In different districts, the scale must be signed for all the properties at the same time be- fore any will be allowed to run.
 The action of the convention will bring out of the mines of the country tomorrow night 509.500 men in the anthracite and bituminous fields. These will remain on strike until settlements have been signed by districts or with individual operators The cnly miners at work Monday will be 25,o00 men in the New River, Pocahontas, Fair mount and Central fields of West iVr- ginia, where att agreement had been made several days ago to allow the men to continue at work until the dls- trict convention, now in session at Charleston, has reached settlement with the operators.
 Eay sign Agreement.
 The joint State Conventions of the outlying districts which will be held next week at Charleston, W. Va, Saginaw, Mich, and Clearfield in Gen. tral Pennsyivania. were empowered under the action of the convention toe day to sign agreements with the opera tors of those States if they agree to pay the 1908 scale. The men will re- turn to work as soon as the scale is olHned. If tde9se 14 disats rceF1es8t ln these joint State Conventions any of the miners can sign the scale and re- sume work where individual operators pay the advanced scale.
 It is anticipated that the scale will be signed in few days by employers of 75,00G miners. The Pittsburg Coal Company and F. I. Robbins, of West ern Pennsylvania, who also owns mines in Ohio, illinois and West Virginia, will, 1t is expected, sign at once to- gether with a number of independent operators.
 The miners expect to get the advance soon in all the Indluan emlnes south of the Baltimore and ohio Rairoad in a number of central Indiana mines, in one half of tho Illinois mines and in a large per centage Of the mines in Ohio. The duration of the strike in Michigan, Kentucky. Central Pennsyl- vanla, Iowa and West Virginia can bet ter be determined when the state con- ventions meet next week, when ex- pressions from the operators as to their intentions will be made.
 View of Mir. Mitchell.
 President Mitchell said today he be- lieved one-half of the tonnage of H. linois, Indiana, Ohio and Western Penn sylvania would sign very soon and he knew of independent companies In those states having an annual output of 13.000,000 tons who protested here against the advance. but who would pay the advance demanded and their men would resume work. The miners expected that very few operators in the southwestern districts will sign at once.
 The joint conference of this district adjourned today after disagreeing and after the miners had unanimously de- clined to submit the differences to to be appointed by Presi- dent Roosevelt. The national execu- tive committee will meet tomorrow morning to take up the details of man aging the strike. It was empowered to decide as to what employees will be allowed to continue work at the mines to prevent the destruction of the prop erty during the suspension.
 The convention cost the miners or ganization $l05. .000 for per diem and of delegates. There is In the national district and local treas nries of the miners $2.500,00O of which s4O0, 900 iS in the national treasury.
 President Mitchell expects to leave Sunday for New York to meet in joint conference with the anthracite opera tors.
 The convention today failed to ex- pei Patrick Dolan and Uriah Bellinf- nam, the Pittsburg district officials rom the organization by vote of 45O 10 35s. The controversy was referred pack to the Pittsburg district.