The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1912-03-28
MINE OPERATORS
REFUSE A RAISE
Declare That 1t Would be Better to
Have Idle Shafts.
IT'S SUSPENSION NEXT MONDAY
Rock Island Road Quits Storing Coal
at West Liberty-Decision of the
Y. S. Supreme Court in "Hard
Coal" Case April list.

SlcNcIdllu, ", cpCCldl
Inability to agree yesterday again
marked the attempts of bituminous
coal miners and operators to fix two
year wage and working agreement to
take effect on April l in western
Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Hi.
nois.
When the conference adjourned
each side stood where it was a week
ago, the miners declaring that unless
they secured 10 per cent increase
in pay and shorter working hours
they would not work after next Sun
expires, and the operators asserting
they would net grant the demands.
I'VE told the men it was useless to
keep on repeating the demands for
we do not intend to grant them" said
ii. NJ. Taylor, representing the Illinois
operators.
1T would be better for us to shut
down thsn to graft them"
I'VE are simply drifting to sus
pension of business, if not a strike
said Thomas l.. Lewis, former presi
dent of the United Mine Workers Of
America. mo progress has been
made"
The operators and miners in bitum
nous fields in states other than those
mentioned are dependent upon the
present conference for a basis upon
which to fix their wage scales.
The policy committee of the miners
union is not taking any action in the
anthracite situation, pending the out
come of the bituminOus dispute,
Rock Island Stops Storing.
West Liberty, Ia, March 27.-Spe
cial: In the unexpected cessation of
the Rock Island railroads storing of
coal in the local yards, is seen the
evidences of an inside tip to the eff.
feet that the contemplated strike
among the miners either will fail to
materialize or will be of brief dura
tion.. "
The company had leased three acres
in addition to the right-of-way, intend
ing to store 10000 tons against the
shortage which would follow a pro.
tracted strike. But little more than
half this amount had been unloaded
when orders were received from Chi
cago headquarters to cease operations
and unofficially it Is declared that
nothing short of authentic information
regarding the impending strike wOul,
have led to this action.
Confesses Failure.
London, March 27-In a short
speech in the house Of commons Pre-
mier Asquith confessed the govern
ments failure to end the miners
strike. He said:
We have done our best, with per-
feet thoroughness and impartiality,
and it is with profound disappoint-
ment that have to confess to the
unavaling."
The premier made final appeal to
the disputants.
IF at this fifty.ninth minute Of the
eleventh hour the parties cannot come
10 a reasonable arrangement on mat
ter of relatively small proportions
they will have a serious account to
render to the country. The govern
ment has done all it can" he said
King George Cancelled his visit to
: Liverpool to attend the grand national
steeplechase Friday. Telegraphing to
Lord Derby, with whom he intended to
stay, King George said:
THE continuance of this disa strous
coal strike makes it impossible for me
to make any plans to leave London"
Distress throughout the United
Kingdom is hourly becoming more
acute. Tens OF thousands of people
are already suffering the pangs OF
starvation. Hundreds OF families are
pswning their clothing so that they
may buy food. In Sheffield many fam
lilies are reported as having been with
out food for almost a week.
The "Hsrd Coal" Case.
Washington, d. C.. Mar. 27.-Spe'
cial: With the world awaiting to see
If the American coal mines are to be
closed by general strike, the SUI
preme court of the United States next
Monday may contribute to the situa.
ton by announcing its decision in the
hard coal" case.
Most OF the long-stauding cases of
difficulty have been decided, leaving
the court almost free during the pres.
ent recess to devote itself to the intri.
cate problems involved in the govern
ment's suit to dissolve the alleged
Illegal combination of railroads and
their subsidiary coal companies in
Pennsylvania anthracite region.
For its effect on the present diff.
culties, the so-called "sixty-five per
cent contracts" of the railroad coal
companies with the independent" an