The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1906-03-23
MINERS CONVENTION
Continued From Page one.)

floor. Vice President Lewis, who usual
ly has this privilege, is this time one
of the Ohio scale committeeman.
OLD DEMANDS PRESENTED.
The miners again presented their
old demands, which included the de-
mand for 121s per cent increase in
wages, and the Indiana, Ohio, and
Illinois operators reiterated their pos
tive declaration that they would not
Increase wages at all. They seemed
to be very positive. +. l.. Robbins,
in speech, in which he denied the
statement that he had entered into an
agreement with John Mitchell TO in
crease wages, said that the condi-
tions did not warrant an increase in
wages.
He, however, said the operators were
here to make terms with their miners.
Because of the failure yesterday to
force him 30 state his stand, no eff
fort was made to force him to elabor-
ate on this statement
The discussion had gone on only
little while when the Illinois opera
tors brought up their special griev-
ances and most of the day was taken
up by a discussion of the shot-firers
law in that state. The argument was
largely statistical.
The miners based their argument on
humanitarian principles, and w. B.
Wilson presented statistics on the loss
Of life caused by miners doing their
own shot firing. A. j. Mooreshead,
Of Illinois, asserted that Wilson's fig
ures did not reveal the true condition
and he produced some by which he
showed that while the miners we're
shooting their own coal the loss of
life by reason of the shooting was
less that it is at this time, when shot
firers are employed.
Phil Penna, speaking for the Indi-
ana operators, reviewed the conditions
and laid great stress on over produc-
ton and the bad condition of the coal
markets because of it. On that ar
gument he based Indiana's refusal to
make any concessions.
1t seems that there was a great
If driven to it the operators may
fall back on the proposition of draft
ing a wage scale of producing coal
under the 1903 scale This would
mean that the Illinois miners would
have to deduct from the 1903 wage
scale any cost added by the Illinois
new shot-irers' legislation and the In
diana miners would have to deduct the
one per cent they gained in the pick
Gnd machine differential when they
made compromise with the operators
on the proposed shot-frers' legislation.
The report was circulated last night
end today that F. l.. Robbins had re-
Ceived word from the United States
Steel corporation releasing him from
its demand that>he prevent strike
by making terms with the miners
The report could not be verified and
Robbins said it was malicious lie
put out for effect.
deal in what appeared to be the very
simple report of the scale commit
tee to the miners in their conven-
tion last week.
STRIKE OR ADVANCE.
In adopting the report the miners
not only virtually brushed aside the
Ryan resolution but they will also
find that they gave their representa-
tives practically free rein in the ne
gotiations with the operators.
What the committee will set as It's
minimum demand is not known yet.
1t is certain that there will be
strike unless the miners get some ad-
ell and the committeeman may finally
drop to a lower figure than the 5.9
per cent increase, which would restore
the 1903 scale.