The Oskaloosa herald., 1910-04-21
MACHINE MINING
l' KNOCKED OUT
Much Mooteo Question Has Caused
Trouble for Ten Years.
BOTH SIDES VERY CONFIDENT
Convention Now Nearer Settlement
1t Looked for While as Though
All Negotiations Were off
and Strike Extended.

Des Moines, April 20.-Special: The
Iowa mine workers won another vic
tory in the joint conference today
when they broke the deadlock over
the use of machines in subdistrict
No. |, by refusing the operators offer
of an advance of four cents ton and
forcing the agreement that machines
will not be used the next two years
The conditions for mining screened
coal will be made the same as in the
past two years. The price for mining
was fixed at one dollar per ton for
lump coal and So to "a cents for mine
run coal All the old mine condi.
tons were adopted with the exception
that drivers and box car men will
receive $40 per day.
Des Moines, April 20-Special
President John P. Reese, of the oper.
ators, and President John p. White,
of the miners, are authority for the
statement that the failure to reach
an agreement on machine mining in
southern Iowa may cause such a rIIp.
ture as to end all attempts to nego-
tiate new wage scale for the ensu-
ing two years.
So wide are the differences on the
question that the meeting of the joint
scale committee yesterday afternoon
lasted only a few minutes. Seeing
their inability to make any Roadway,
the meeting was adjourned. The two
parties spent the day in holding Sc.
cret caucuses, the miners in the
morning and the operators in the af-
ternoon. From the statements of the
leaders of each party they are no
nearer an agreement than at the time
when the question was first opened.
Machine Mining.
Machine mining in the first subdis-
trict has been mooted question with
the operators and miners for the past
ten years. More trouble has been ex
perienced with the subject than any
other one In the entire agreement.
Because OF the disagreement machine
mining in that district has been aban
doned since May G, 1909.
AT that time. in accordance with the
agreement in the last contract, the
question was submitted to a board of
arbitration. consisting of Judge w. Fl.
McHenry, of Des Moines, Judge w. d.
Tisdale, of Ottumwa, and Judge U. r.
Richmond, of Abba. Operators and
miners presented their different
claims and the matter ended with the
decision of the board to grant an in
crease amounting to about seventeen
per cent to the leaders who work
with the machines. This was regard
ed as decided victory for the min.
ers.
Anxious to Again Install.
The operators refused to abide by
the decision. however, and withdrew
their machines from the mines. The
operators are anxious to get them to
work again, because it increases
largely the output of the mines. The
chimes, but refuse to relinquish the
advantage given them by the board of
arbitration.
The position of the miners, as stat
ed by President White, is that they
will effect an agreement on the ma
chine question on the basis of the
decision of the board of arbitration
TO which is to be added the fat in.
crease Of four cents per ton demand.
ed by the national union in its con.
vention at Cincinnati.
The Deadlock.
hox do ttnn If
fers to the miners. One is to negoti
ate new machine scale from All en-
tirely new basis, to be determined, as
President Reese states it, on the
merits Of the question. To this new
scale the operators are willing to add
the advance demanded at Cincinnati
The other proposition is to, negotiate
a new scale, using the onl one as
basis. but throwing out the decision
of the arbitration board. The opera.
tors offer an alternative in PROPOSE
ton to pass the machine question un
til all the rest of the contract is made
To the operators propositions the
miners can give no consideration, &C.
cording to President White, for it
would be sacrificing the point they
gained when the matter was fought
out purely on It's merits before
board of arbitration, which was com
posed of men wha are entirely unin.
terested In the affair.
The operators cannot accept the
moners proposition. President Reese
says, because the price fixed by the
arbiters makes machine mining pro
hibitise. They cannot mine coal by
machinery under that scale, he says,
and make the same profits as they
made on hand-mined coal.
Operators Would Laugh.
THE operators would have laughed
us out of the joint committee room
(Continued on page So