The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-03-13
MINE WORKERS
IN CONVENTION
Attempt Will Be Made To
Agree on Wage Scale
Effective April l..
MAY SUIT OPERATORS
Mitchell Will Trysto Adjust
Matter Before Retire
ment as President.
MAY SUIT OPERATORS
BY Assocla,eo Press.

Indianapolis, Ind, March 12.-Tht
national convention of the United
Mine Workers of America went int(
executive session today in TomlinsoI
Hall TO agree upon course of actor
under the situation resulting from tht
failure of the operators and miner;
Of the central competitive field II
agree upon wage conference to fix {
substitute to the present scale which
expires April l., when John Mitchell
will be succeeded as president of the
miners organization by Vice-Presi
dent I. l.. Lewis.
The wage scales for the numerous
bituIninous fields of this country and
Canada are based upon the scale fixed
in the competitive field consisting o.
Illinois, Ohio and Western Pennsylva
MIA Failing to agree ON a joint meet
ing in this field has caused President
John Mitchell to call national meet
ing of the miners to take decisive &C
ton. Indications are that four prop
ositions will be considered by the con
vention.
The Proposition.
The first will be to make no scale
demands and then to issue a call fol
a joint conference, opening the dooI
to all operators who may wish to
come in, signahze, and keep thelI
mines In operation.
The second will be to adopt a scale
and issue a call for joint wage con
ferences by districts.
The third will be to make no scale
except by competitive districts which
would mean that the Western Penn
sylvania, Ohio and Illinois operators
and miners would be held to be one
unit, as would those Of Missouri, Kan
saS. Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas
the southwestern competitive field
The fourth proposition will be the
extreme peace measure, a provision
that the present contract be continued
month longer and the mines be kept
in operation during that period.
1t is thought President Mitchell will
advocate the adoption of one of the
first two policies, expecting by the
pursuit OF that course to get some oil
the operators to sign up and put their
mines in operation. This, the miners
believe, would have the effect of fore
ing other operators who are Compel
itors in the same markets, likewise
to sign. This policy was adopted IN
the strike two years ago. If this course
is adopted the strike will not have
any serious sensational effect, as al
least the Indiana operators in the cen
II d
mines in the southwest and probably
in central Pennsylvania will soon be
put in operation.
Mitchell Talks.
There is a disposition, said Presi-
dent Mitchell, ION the part of some
operators to stimulate coal prices in
this manner or by the threat of bring
ing on siIoh a strike. We have done
all that we could do to prevent this.
and it looks now as if there would be
a full suspension of mining IN all
these great bituminous fields on April
1. We have signified our Willingness
to keep the mines in~operaton after
April / for limited time. providing
wage settlement is under negotia-
ton by April /; but the OPERATOR
with some exceptions, notably the In
diana operators-have refused our re-
quests for joint conference and have
persisted in postponements and de
lays. The miners convention is con
vened to adopt our policy.