New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-11-30
NINE PACT NEAR END
EXPIRES APRIL [ NEXT.
Ne5c Demands Drafted By Com
mittee Of Union

The peace pact between the anthracite mine
pioyes and the operators has exactly four months
from Tomorrow 70 The outcome Of negctta-
tons between and then will determine whether
there viii be another period Of peace after April L
a committee Of the miners union has drafted Dc
n1ands like those which preceded the strike n 1902
and the suspension Of 1eos These demands lave
not been placed formally before the operators
therefore there have been no formal statements as
10 hoV they looked on. but is stated that the
operators viii Tot grant them.
The present agreement between operators and
miners is based on the award OF the Anthracite
Strife Commission OF 1902 The award expired
April /, 1905, but then renewed by mutual
agreement for another three years The list o. de-
recently reported to A union conference at
Scranton includes several which aid before
the strike commission. but which we're upheld
by Judge GRAY and his associates
The ''Check-of'' is what the labor leaders desire
most and what the operators, it Is believed will
probably never agree It is the method by
which the operators would hold out part Of the
employees wages for union dues and turn over the
amount obtained the treasury Of the union.
If this plan went into effect about $50 ooo would be
deducted from the mine workers earnings every
month.
Demand No. I Of the list recently drafted points
70 the abolition Of the Cancellation board
constructive board which acts a permanent
council to settle differences. tt demand is-
That an agreement shall be- negotiated between
the representatives OF the miners ana The operators
under the contract shall he adjusted as provided
for in said agreement
This IS repetition. in someu-hat different form.
q thu proposition made by the union in 1916. L
was then proposed do away with the Conciliati
board and substitute another method of aroitra-
ton. The board consists of three representa- ttEes
Of the operators and three representatives Of the
miners II was esta blfshed by the strike commits
sion as a means OF maintaining peace in the coal
regions and has been the principal cause q the
harmony Of the last few years Only 2 few weeks
ago It announced clean docket and since then
only one case has been laid before it IN appointing
the Anthracite Strike Commission Of 1902 the Fres-
ide1t directed them 70 do away, as far as pos
sibIe with any causes for the recurrence Of such
difficulties as those which you have been called in
II settle
The second demand is:
We demand the complete recognition u tn
negotiate wage contract, and mat Iae me- 20
our right 70 PROVIDE any method We may adopt
for the collection Of revenues Tor the orgahlza-
ton
The phrase any method We may adopt for the
collection Of revenues refers TO the "chec<-off-
This system would keep the unions treasury well
supplied with funds. When this demand was
urged by the miners in 1905 the operators stood out
against it
The question OF recognition OF the United Mine
Workers Of America came before the strike com
mission and the declined to order an agree
n1ent between the operators and the organization
In It's award the commission considered the mine
workers as a whole without regard to membership
OF membership in q union; the operators have
held 10 this same policy ever since.
The principal part of the discussion promises 10
centre around these t~o Observation-Disclosures the
present Cancellation board shall De upheld, and
whether the 'checl-ofr' shall re established Close
70 them in importance IS the period duration Of
whatever agreement IS made between operators
and mine workers Again the labor leaders, in
demand No. of the list. suggest year
The operators have agreed with the strike
mission in favoring longer periods of duration for
agreements.
The third fourth and fifth demands il The list
rraoared bv the miners COMMITTEES call for fewer
hours higher wages and the payment Of contract
miners BY weight exclusively. Al these questions
came before the Strike Commission After fixing
The number Of hours OF work and minimum Of
wages the commission established q sliding scale
nv which the mine workers earnings Increase
whenever the price Of coal to the consumer rises
above certain figure. By the operation Of this
sliding scale since II went into effect 1876, labor
has received, is stated, in addition TO the IN
creased wages allowed by the commits sion. about
AZ. cents for every ton OF coal produced. On this
basis the benefit to labor from the operation Of the
sliding scale in 1891 when seyenty-sX million tons
we're produced, amounted 70 SSSooo
Cz1ng to the steadiness of the market for antnra-
tito ,t is declared the mine employees have lost
lass time from work the panic last than
eroploves IN other industries. In round numbers
the shipments OF anthracite during the first ten
months Of this year amounted to hfty-three million
tons as compared with fifty SIX million tons during
the same period in 1907. decrease Of only SO
o.-- Under the award CT the Strike Commission
me minimum wage is fixed that cut in wages
-, ba wade in times Of business depression.