The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1908-04-16
STRIFE THREATENS
OVER MINE SCALE.
UNITED MINE WORKERS AND oP-
ORATORS MAY NOT AGREE.
COMMITTEES READY TO REPORT
But the Action Of the Joint Conference
Which Begins Tomorrow is in
Doubt.--President White
Optimistic.

Des Moines, April 15.--The joint
scale committee OF coal miners and
operators yesterday adopted resolu.
tion to be included in the new agree
|ment which makes five hour work
day on the two pay days Of each
month. A number of other resolu.
|tions were adopted and the agree
ment is now complete except for the
consideration Of about a dozen Of the
resolutions of the expired agreement.
The joint committee expects to have
the new agreement complete by to-
night or tomorrow noon and IL will
be presented TO the joint convention
of miners and operators which has
been called for tomorrow afternoon.
AS soea as the agreement is approved
by the convention it will be put into
force and operations at the mines re-
|sumed.
Some members OF the committee
feel that the mater will be entirely
settled by the end of the week.
Il feel sure that the agreement
made by the committee, when COM
pleted, will be acceptable to the mine
workers" said President w. w. White
of the Iowa district of mine workers.
The terms and scale of wages, with
:; few minor changes are practically
the same as they We're in the agree
1ient which expired March 81.
On the other hand mine workers OF
the rank and file of the organization
have said that there will be fight on
the floor OF the convention. The
reason for the opposition which may
develop some strength is that the
wage scale adopted hi the joint com
mittee Is no more advantageous TO the
miners than that which expired April
II.
The refusal Of tha uainerI conven-
tion to adopt the agreement rspvsSd
by the joint committees would ba $ =
ferfect Of forcing -Se,sil 4ilitfee or 4
new one, TO draft another agreement
which might be more satisfactory 90
the mine workers AS the operators
are determined that they win not
grant further wage concessions the
second joint committee probably
would deadlock with the result that
no agreement would be reached until
one side or the other gave in.
1t is even predicted by some that
the coal mines of Iowa which were
shut down on April |. pending the
adoption of o new working agreement
between the operators and the work.
ers, may not be re-opened until next
fall.
The Interstate Conference.
Toledo, Ohio, April 15.-The scale
committee of the Interstate Coal Con-
ference is threshing differences be-
tween bituminous coal miners and Cd.
orators in secret session today. Pres.
ident Lewis this morning said: Il. ex.
pect to be through here by Thursday
night, The operators do not take
this optimistic view, however, n5Y
The miners insist that the scale
committee contine it's work to the
question of resumption of work. the
wage scale and length of contract. All
rules and working conditions they
claim should be left TO the separate
districts for adjustment. This may
cause split between the miners and
operators. The operators claim that
on account of financial stringency and
general conditions, there viii be virtu.
ally no profit in mining this year at
the old rate of wages, but they antici-
pate better prices for coal next year.
Hence if they get two-year contract
from the miners this will balance mat.
ters.