The Cairo bulletin., 1906-02-02
INDIANAPOLIS CONVENTION Re-
JECTED COUNTER PROPOSAL
OF COAL OPERATORS.
BIGGEST IN The WORLD
Immediately Following Rejection
Miners Set About to Provide
Strike Fund Aggregatins six
and Half Millions.

the counter pTOpOaltlon Olcieu W 'he
coal operators of the central district |
by an almost unanimous vote CT the
national convention of the United |
Mine Workers and the adoption OF |
resolution offered by Secretary Ryan |
of Illinois, placing the miners on re-
cord as unit in refusing to sign an
agreement for any district until the
agreement was signed for all districts
under the jurisdiction of the United
Mine Workers has created a situation
which in the opinion of the officials
of the miners organization VIII result
In the disruption of the joint agreement
and. possibly one of the greatest
strikes of organized labor the country
has ever known.
Th action was taken during called
session of the Mine Workers nation
al convention which met Immediately
following a short session of a joint
conference of operators and miners,
during which the joint scale commit
tee reported that it had been unable
10 reach an agreement on any of the
principal questions involved and after
=. L. Robbins of Pittsburg, floor Lead
er of the operators had replied 10
President Mitchells question, that the
9perators had no further proposition
| 10 lay before the miners, concluding
his remarks with statement that
| there was to be an interruption of the
! Joint agreement he wished the respon-
| ,billty for snch severance OF rela'
| tions to be placed upon the miners.
A counter proposition submitted by
the operators, which was said to be
heir ultimatum, provided for the sign
ing for another year of the present
wage scale with certain notifications
to reimburse the Illinois operators for
the expense Insured under the shot
| firers'' bill now effective in that state
Much enthusiasm was manifested in
the proceedings of the convention q
various stages, but the most important
step was taken with all due gravity
and after consideration. Voices were
heard counseling further consultation
with the operators, but those same
yo' ces acknowledged that little could
be expected from such conference
and declared their constituents willing
to abide by the verdict of their rep
resentatives In The convention.
Immediately following the rejection
Of the operators proposal the conyen
ton set about to provide means for
accommodating a strike fund of $500,
GOO in addition to like amount now
on deposit in the International, district
and sub-distrct treasury of the miners
organizations,
The subject was brought up by Sec
retary Treasurer Wilson who said in
view of the fact as he believed, the re-
lection of the operators proposal
means strike or industrial war after
April first, he wished to inform the
delegates that the funds of the Inter
national treasury could not at present
be depended upon to sustain the min
ers in such a gigantic struggle.
To provide for emergency he moved
per capita tax of 81 a week be voted
and that all districts take care of de-
pendent miners within their jurisdic-
| tions for at least xix weeks.
He said after that time he believed
the International organization would
be in a position 10 take care of the
miners. After the motion was amend
ed to substitute ten weeks for six sug
gested as the time during which the
district should take care of their de
pendents. the whole subject was referr
ed TO the international executive board
with power to act.
Then as if TO set an irrevocable seal
upon their position the convention
adjourned sine die. The joint confer
ence tomorrow morning will be for i
formal adjournment Of the interstate
joint conference. the recess this after
noon having been taken to allow the
miners convention TO ratify or reject
a report of the scale committee.
In this last meeting lies the only
hope. If hope can exist for settlement
of the dispute.
Only by the operators meeting the
demand OF their employees for an al.
vance in wages can the question be
rcopeBed. This was settled in the
form of motion to adjourn framed
by Secretary Treasurer Ryan Of dis
trict No u. Illinois.
Ryan's motion was couched in these
words.
L move YOU that the convention in
dorse the action Of the scale commit
tee in refusing TO accept. or to recon-
mend the acceptance Of the PROPOSE
ton of the operators: that this eonven-
tiOn adjour sne die. and that no con
tracts be signed In any district until
We all get a settlement OF until We
all go down to defeat together"