The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1911-06-21
MINERS WIN OUT
IN WAGE MATTER
Will Receive $4,000 More
Next Ten Months
IN THE DISTRICT NUMBER %
Attorney Yeaman, of Hender-
son, Decides Important
Case Submitted Him.
CASE WAS LONG DRAWN OUT

D W ~ Il
Henderson, KY, June 17.-Attor-
ney James NJ. Yeaman, sitting as an
arbitrator for the miners and oper-
atOrs of Southwestern Kentucky
has decreed that all outside men. in
cluding engineers, firemen, pump
men, night watchmen. blacksmiths,
and special repair men, shall re-
ceive in the next ten months S40,-
900 in wages more than they have
been receiving. This is according to
a contract entered into March 16,
1910, but, as the miners declare,
was not filled by the operators. The
contract will expire next march. The
miners will receive no back pay.
The agreement called for eight
hours work a day. but the miners
declare they worked twelve hours
for the pay they were entitled to for
for eight hours.
Robert Roll, the president of Dis
trict 90, United Mine Workers of
America, in speaking of the decision
Thursday night, had the following
to say: ~-s, - ...-. '-->-- .-.A -
From the time I went into office,
] April 1, 1910, l have been determ-
ined to stand by the contract made
by the operators and the miners of
Southwestern Kentucky. Several
times since being president of Dis
trict 90, United Mine Workers of
America. I have had TO take issue
with members of the organization of
which I am president, but fortune
always favored me, and I succeeded
in convincing the miners that l was
right.
AT the time OF my election I
was under the impression that every
man within the jurisdiction of the
United Mine Wokers was getting the
scale of wages as specified by the
contract which was entered into
March 16, 1910. but after having
served few months. I made the dis
covery that some Of the outside men
We're working twelve hours for ST.
20, when they should have been re-
ceiving 81 4 cents per hour.
81 carried the case to Mr.. D. Stew
art Miller of greensboro, who is
commissioner for the operators who
are parties to this contract, and told
him that some places the operators
were not complying with the con-
tract. He then asked me to state in
what cases, and informed him
that some of the outside men were
underpaid, as above stated
"He informed me that the opera
tors were doing now what they had
been doing for 13 years, and said to
me that If We wanted to change we
would have to wait until the con-
tract expired.
1--WE failed to agree on this sug-
gestion, and told him that it made
no difference If they had been doing
1t for 13 years, sthat they had been
violating the contract all the time,
that it would not he necessary for
us to get into the next joint couven-
ton to get that poin in the contract,
as it was already there, and all We
need now is to get the operators to
comply with the contract.
"Mr. Miller refused to agree with
me. and tried to get him to agree
with arbitration. and he declined
that also. saving that there was
nothing TO arbitrate. and that
we would have 10 wait and
come into the next joint con-
vsntion. After fourteen months
succeeded in getting him to agree |
10 arbitration, and this decision is
The outcome. This means that the
wages of the miners who have been
twelve hours per day for
he sum of $40. will get an In
,rease to $2.25 per day. or in other
words, this means thousands of dol
airs to the outside men during the
of the period contracted i
'or.
IF We are entitled to ak cents
per hour for ten months OF this con-
.ract which have yet to be worked
'ut, why are We not entitled to the :