The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1909-02-24
Lest 0pefators and Unions
May Not Agree and
Strike May Follow.

'2lilAS ma isl CHOW.
m about d month the tlree-year
8asree raent sntssed into between the
antfraeite coaf operators and their
sefppipyees WIN expire. ANTICIPATING
ne xpIfatlon 81 the contract the
mine workers ARE already formula ting
demands which they vim submit IS
thsir employers 50 far as has yet
been diselosed. these demands VIM
follow closely those mich were, made
I'M the spring Of 1906. and they win
eInbody. first, recognition 81 the tn-
ion; second, an increase ia wages:
third The collection ~ the operators
adyantageous 70 the mine workers ii
members Of the unions; fourth. the
abolttlon q the Board Of Cancellation,
as Il is now constituted, and the SUBJ
stitntion therefor d mine committees
in the several anthracite districts,
these committees to be chosen. by the
temployees Of each coiliery from
among their own number. -Four or
morerotiler minor demands viii also
probably be made.
As a start towards bringing about
new negotiations, the national COM
vention Of the United Nine workers
Of America in session at Ihdianapoiis.
has appointed a committee Of 90
members who VIII make request, in
the name of the national organization,
for conference with the anthracite
operators. OF the members of this
large committee only three are rep
resentatives of the mine workers III
the anthracite regions; the other
twenty represent workers in the bi.
luminous coal districts Of western
Pennsylvania, and twenty other
States, from Alabama and Missouri
on the south to Montana on the north:
and even Canada Is represented. The
three committeeman representing the
anthracite workers proper are r. D.
Nichols, President of the Scranton
Wilkes Barre district, known as Dis
trict No. 1; Andrew Mattey. vice-Pres-
ident of the Hazelton district. known
as District No. 4, and John Fahy.
President of the shamokin district.
known as No. 9. Messrs. Nichols,
Mattey and Fahy participated in am
Of the conferences Of 1906.
Old Demands Renewed.
It is not likely that any new issues
of Importance between the anthracite
operators and their employees will be
raised. All of the pove-enumerated
demands we're made by the mine
workers in 1906 and absolutely re-
tected by the operators. The confer;
enees in that year extended from Feb.
10 to May Z. A convention of am
thracite miners in session at shamokin
had appointed committee of SO, Of
whom John Mitchell, President of the
United Mine Workers Of America. was
chairman, to confer with the opera
tors. OF this number only four were
actually in the employ of the mining
companies, but this committee was re-
ceived by 25 men, representing the an.
thraclte operators. Each side an
pointed subcommittee of seven.
who conducted the negotiations. The
proposition OF the miners provided
for an agreement between the opera
tors and representatives OF tho Unit
ed Mine Workers OF America" The
operators, avowing themselves in
favor Of the open shop, objected TO
any agreement with the union. They
took the position that this Is one of
the fundamental principles settled by,
the Anthracite Strike Commission, and
the question of recognition of the I'M
ion should not be reopened. One rea-
son given by the commission for not
requiring the operators to enter into
an agreement with the United Mine
Workers of America was that this or
ganization Is controlled by the work
ers in rival industry. that of min
ing bltuminous coal That this same
objection still holds good Is shown
by the makeup of the committee Just
appointed, which consists Of three
parts anthracite men TO 20 parts BIZ
luminous workers.
Regarding the demand for an In
crease In wages, it has been shown
that compliance with the request or
the miners in this respect would cause
an Increase in the prices Of domestic
sizes Of anthracite to consumers or.
$3.50 per ton. The general state Of
the country is such at this time that
consumers would no take kindly to an
advance of even so cents per ton. In
support of this view, attention may be-
called to the fact that the prices OF
domestic sizes of anthracite are 81
per ton more than they were before
the advance in wages was granted by
the Anthracite Coal, Strike Commits.
sion after the prolonged spike OF
1902.
Sliding Scale Raises Earnings.
It is maintained by the operators
that the present arrangement of fixing
wages by the sliding scale Is especially
advantageous the mine workers. A
I minimum iq fiyed bAIou, v,hFrt, ,,,ay,o~