New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-03-30
CALL ON PRESIDENT.
BituminOus Mem Waut Him to n y
point Inuestigating Commission.

point Investigating Commission.
Indianapolis March 2a-The- coal operators
Of Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. and those or Vest
eru Pennsylvania who have opposed the paw
ment Of any Increase in wages to the bituminous
coal miners, tonight adopted in resolutions. IN
executive session. call on President Roosevelt
to appoint a commission TO investigate all mat
ters which. in the Judgment OF such commis-
sion, have an important bearing upon or relation
to the scale OF wages which should be paid all
classes Of labor in and about the coal mines %
the territory herein involved and other conIi-
tions now imposed and insisted on by the United
Mine Workers OF America. such commission to
report to the President OF the United states its
findings OF facts, together with its recommenda-
tions.
This resolution came late tonight after ths
joint conference OF bituminous coal operators
and miners OF the central competitive district
had adjourned sine die without agreement on a
wage scale. leaving affairs in such condition
that strike OF from l7s. 900 to SS45OO soft coal
miners. besides 10000 anthracite miners or
dered out, seems inevitable on April l. the pres
ent wage scale expiring on March 81. The mines
directly affected are in Ohio. Indiana, Illinois
and Western Pennsylvania
Miners and operators Of the Southwestern dis
trict, composed OF Missouri. Kansas. Texas. Ar
kansas, Oklahoma and Indian Territory have
decided to report a disagreement to-morroW
Iowa miners have agreed with the operators to
suspend work for sixty days. Michigan. West
Virginia and Kentucky miners. It is said VIII
follow the lead Of the central district.
The wage scales Of all miners. both anthracite
and bituminous. Will expire on Saturday. except
Tennessee
scale will expire in September. A national off,
cial OF the United Mine Workers tonight said.
It is foregone conclusion that all the miners,
whose scales expire on Saturday will ceassi
work until officially notified by the national and
district officers that contract arrangerleuts have
been made governing their scales.
The bituminous miners affected directly ana
indirectly by the disruption OF the conferences
number SS4JOO distributed as follows. Penn
sylvanis. 10000; Maryland. 5000 West Vir-
sina. 5000; Virginia $4,000: Ohio. 10000.
Indiana 1900; Illinois, $1,000. Iowa. 14OOO:
Michigan. $500; kentucky. 4OOO and the south
western states, 40OO0 or these. 10000 srs
unorganized
Operators Of Illinois Indiana and Ohio. ana
those Of Western Pennsylvania who are opposed
to paying an increase in wages. held an exec
utive session tonight.
The resolutions calling on the President to ap-
point a commission We're passed by the coal
operators and the representatives or the miners
of the states OF Illinois. Indiana. Ohio and Vest
ern Pennsylvania, representing so per cent of
the tonnage in the territory involved
J. II. Wiuder. Of Ohio. was chairman of the
meeting. and g. L. Scroggs. of Illinois. was 500
retary- A standing committee Of two operators
from each Of the four states. with j. II. WInder
as chairman. was appointed
The resolutions I'm fun were telegraphed to
President Roosevelt tonight
The final vote i'm the conference of the central
competitive field. ON which the other districts
base their settlements. was ON a motion offered
10y President Mitchell OF the United Mine Work
crs Co restore for two years the wage scale -
1908. which would mean an increase I'm wages ~
5.5J per cent The operators Of Illinois Indiana
and Ohio voted against the proposal and de-
featcd IT, The disruption Of the conference. fol-
lowed. Operators OF Western Pennsylvania aud
the miners OF the four states voted for the p-o-
posal
Following adjournment, National Secretary w.
b. Wilson OF the Mine Workers said;
There Is no likelihood OF anything further
being done toward settlement This means
suspension OF work. The national convention Oa