The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-03-30
Goal Operators and Miners Fail to Come to Terms
 and to Home
THREATENING OUTBREAK
 IN BIGGEST DISTRICTS
Miners of Pennsylvania and Illinois May Strike But It Ts Felt That These Troubles May Soon
 He Adjusted

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 Cincinnati, March 29.-Ony immediate | increases in wages will prevent numer- ous and widespread strikes in the bi- luminous coal mines of the country, ac- | cordine to the action of the special con yention of the United Mine Workers Of | North America here late today, follow ing the final disagreement and dissolu- | ton of the joint conference of the cen- | tral competitive field.
 The terms proposed by the miners for
 the continuation of work after the ex-
 piration of the present agreements, at
 midnight Thursday. admit of no eompro- | mise, so far as increased wages are con- cerned. On most other questions. how
 ever. there is room for agreement and
 the general trend of opinion among men
 and employers tonight was that no
 lengthy suspensions will result except in | a few fields.
 | The most threatening aspect overshad-
 ows the Pennsylvania and Illinois stua-
 tions. In Pennsylvania there can be no
 new contracts short of a settlement of
 the controversy over the new explosive
 laws of that state, and in illinois the
 old problem of payment for the services
 of shot-hrers looms up as possible bar
 rier to peaceful settlement l Both questions were brought up on the
 floor of the convention, but a pos l tive declaration was received on the | former, and the Illinois miners were not
 allowed to put the convention on record
 as supporting or rejecting the justice of
 their grievances.
 Demands of Miners
 Briefly stated, the miners demands are
 that all operators agree to pay the in- l creased wages of } cents ton on pick
 mined screen coal, with proportionate ad-.
 vances for other methods of mining and
 outside labor as a prerequisite to other negotiations on other questions.
 With the advance in pay assured. work
 may be continued in the mines affected l pending a solution of the minor points, | provided the national executive board of
 the union approves action to this effect 1 by the district officers. The national board will have the final | power, so far the union is concerned
 but it is expressly forbidden to modify | the wage demands.
 | It was announced by President T. L.
 Lewis that the proposition adopted by
 the convention is not to be construed as affecting contracts which do not expire | until after April l.
 | The announcement precludes immediate
 trouble in Montana, Wyoming and Wash | ington.
 | provision that agreements may be | signed by states districts or groups of | districts will, it is thought. have a like l beneficial effect in Ohio and in Indiana | Only a few n Sta | thought to be determined to hold out | against an advance, and MT. Lewis ex- | plained that the provision was inserted | to prevent a whole state being tied up | by the 'obstnacy" of few mine own CTS.
 Where Provision Applies The provision is also expected to apply beneficially to Texas and portions of the southwestern competitive field where | mines in Missouri for example. form | part of the Iowa district, and some Kan sas mines are included in Missouri That the Pennsylvania miners are ex- pecting hard struggle was indicated by amendments to the original proposition offered by Francis Feehan, head of the
 unions organization in that state. The first of these declares that mine owners must sign for all collieries controlled by them irrespective of the districts in which their properties lie unless the national board rules otherwise The second provides that the operators must bear the increased cost of new ex- plosives over black powder and substitute fun-cf-mine for screen basis in all works in which the new explosives are used UItimatum of Miners Outside of these provisions the ulti- | matum of the miners is as follows l. That agreements of the present year be col tinued for the scale year beginning April 1. l9lo and ending iiarch 3. 1912 with the exception of the mining prices and day wages: that the price of mining be increased cents per ;on on inch and one-dualter screen lump coal, pick min ing in western Pennsylvania thin vein the ILecl1ing-the basis district of Ohio and both block and tituminous districts of Indiana; 3 cents Inine-run coal pick mining in the hituminous district of Indiana; that price for machine mining be cents q ton on screen lump coal in Western Pennsylvania. thin vein and In the Hooking basic district of Ohio; { cents per ton on screen lump coal in the block and bituminous districts districts of
 Indiana. and cents per ton on mine run coal in the btumnous districts of ln- diana and cents in like fields
 Internal difficulties, both as to prices and conditions, are to be referred for ad- justnent to the various districts, 1t being understood that in the adjoustment of such differences there shall be no mod ihcation of the advance in wages pro- vided for in this proposition.
 Inside day wage scale to be advanced 5.55 per cent with conditions of the Co.,
 umbue day wage scale agre cement of 1898. That all narrow dead work and room turning and outside day labor shall he paid a proportionate advance with the pick mining rate.
 ?. Contracts may be negotiated and agreed upon by state districts or groups of districts.
 3. Where all operators of one district fail to sign the proposed contract opera tors in any sub-dstrct may agree upon the general terms of the contract.
 ! Where operators of the entire state .-Arict or sub-district agree to pay the general advance work may continue pend- ing the settlement of details in the district or sub-district affected.
 3. That details not herein specified are (CONTINUED ON PAGE 11)