Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-03-21
John F. TRAER IS ELECTED PRESIDENT
Chicago Mine Owner Will Preside Over
Deliberations Of Convention.
MITCHELL SPEAKS FOR THE MINERS
he Moves that Scale Proposed Six Weeks
Ago Be Adopted.
QUESTION REFERRED TO SCALE COMMITTEE
Miners Leader I'm an Extended speech
says Coal Diggers Are Entitled
20 share of the General
Prosperity.

EEohUeEiNys
INDIANAPOLIS. Ind March 2O--The sec
ond joint convention Of the coal miners and |
operators Of the central competitive dis |
trict. comprising the state Of Illinois, Indi- |
ana, Ohio and western Pennsylvania, which |
is the result Of the efforts Of President |
Roosevelt to effect a permanent peace In |
the coal industry throughout the United !
States. adjourned this afternoon after re- |
ferring the demands of the miners to the |
joint scale committee, which will begin its
deliberations tomorrow morning at s
o'clock.
The conference was called to order by
President Mitchell OF the United Mine
Workers. The convention organized at
once by the election of George w. Traer,
an operator Of Chicago. as permanent chair
man. and W. B. Wilson of the Mine Work
ers as permanent secretary.
On motion Of President Mitchell the rules
of the previous joint conference, requiring
that the vote of the operators and miners
on ''all main and principal questions be
cast as a unit. were adopted. This action
enables +. l.. Robbins. retiring chairman
OF the operators. and Thomas Lewis. vice
president OF tho United Mine Workers to
prevent any action on the wage scale which
they do not favor.
The following were announced men,
bers Of the joint scale committee, who will
act for the operators:
IllnoIs-H. N. Taylor. A. j. Mooreshead,
B. + Woods, o. l. Garrison.
Pennsylvania--F l.. Robbins, c. w.
sehleuderberg, w. w. Keefer George A.
Ohio-H l.. Chapman, f. NJ. Osborn, c. L.
CaRsinghan. John n. Winder
lndiana--H. f. Seifert, II. +. McClellsnd,
j. y. Shirkil.
President Mitchell. being recognized by
1.-The chair. delivered a brief address in which
ire outlined his views as to the purpose of
the extraordinary Joint conference at the
close of which he moved the adoption of
the scale of wages demanded by the miners
in the Joint conference which adjourned
February 2. Tho scale provides for an in
crease OF 1914 per cent The motion was
lost on q strict party vote. the operators
voting unanimously in tho negative while
the miners voted as a unit in favor Of it's
a9oDtivn, ., -, -, .,ls .ss4 .gF, =
spsecb by Mr.. Mitchen.
President Mitchell in his address said;
This eonysnsisn has reeohyened under
circumstances that have ever prevailed I'm
the Industrial history OF our c9untry. When
we adjourned more than six weeks ago, IL
seemed to us, as IL did to the entire people
OF our country, that a great industrial con-
fict was Imminent SO far as ] know. each
Of these forces mad made grsPsTat,iGns for
fortunately. as circumstances may develop,
the president Of our country intervened and
reconcile our differences. As a consequences
OF his Intervention. for which | believe the
here today TO again consider, not only our
own personal and collective interests, but
also the interests and welfare Of this our
i have given to this situation as much
thought, as much consideration. presume
as anyone here. l have reviewed in my
own mind the. causes which led to a separa-
tion six weeks ago, and have tried as best
could TO review the situation. not so
much as a miner, but rather as an official
and a man charged with certain public
responsibilities. And gentlemen. after six
convinced beyond persdventure OF doubt
that the cleainls that We made In this hail
Justice and that the industrial prosperity
OF our country justifes the coal miners in
asking that they shall receive at least a
fair share OF the profits that result from
great Industrial activity. / believe that the
claims we made then have been confirmed
may be that because of our surroundings,
of our environment. because of our train
ing and our special interest We are unable
to view this situation impartially; but as
stated I'm our resolution, adopted some days
aEo, we are willing TO meet with you who
represent the ownership, or who are the
owners Of these mines for the purpose of
trying earnestly and conscientiously 10 ad-
lust differences.
take II for granted that the experience
OF tho last eight years has satisfied even
the most skepucal among you that annual
or biennial agreements between you and
us are much better for our mutual inter-
ests than tho old method that prevailed
years ago, when every year saw strike
/ believe. gentlemen. that. first, We owe &
10 ourselves, that next we owe II 70 ths
country to make the best EFFORT that Is
within US to reach an agreement that will
preserve and maintain industrial peace ~
that there may be some concrete PROPOSE
tion before the convention for discussion
desire TO offer on behalf 9t the mlneIs
ploymont proposed by us at our recent
Joint conference.
President Mitchell handed to Chairman
rraer a copy of the original scale. On the
> request Of the operators the scale was
read. II embodied demand for a gen.
eral advance Of i2ls per cent In wages. for a
run OF mine basis for nat differentiaI OF
Z cents a ton between pick and machine
mining. the exclusion OF boys under II
years OF age from the mines and for an
cght-hour day.
operators Oner OId scale.
John II. winder of Ohio the newly
elected chairman OF the operators. pre-
faced the motion for the adoption OF reso
luton by a brief address In reply 10 th'
remarks OF President Mitchell The reso
luton which provided that the presen
wage scale. with all attending conditions
be adopted for a period Of one year. begin
ming April l. was defeated
In his address Chairman Winder said
When we assembled six weeks ago 10 dis
cuss this ques tiOn the operators considered
vel the proposition which should be OF
Tered to the miners. They felt that unde
the conditions then existing they were en-
titled TO ask n substantial reduction Il
wages; but knowing how difhcult Il woul'
he 10 convince you OF the other side o
these conditions. they decided 70 sacr1hc
their own interests aud TO oner 70 you IN
scale OF 1874 for another year,
Since that adjournment there has been m
chanec la these conditions. Speaking sen
efaly, aud more particularly for Ohio, W
huVe failed TO hnd any other base on Whicl
We can agree on behalf of the Ohio opera
tors therefore ] wish 10 move the adoption
% the present scale, with all conditions al
tdnding, 10 bc extended for one year iron
April !. 1906 and move that this resolution
bc adopted
= he ff,l