The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-03-21
Conferences Over Wage Scale Of the
Bltuminous District is Result
ing In Nothing But
Arguments.
VI MID WINTER BLIZZARD
BOTH SIDES ARE FIRM
Workmen Want Run Of the Mine
Proposition and Not the Lump
Plan as sus-
gested.

CLEVELAND, March 21.-When I
miners representatives and operators
Eof the bituminous fields resumed their
wage scale conference this morning,
they faced a complete deadlock which
was the conclusion of yesterdays ses-
sion. Neither side reported the slight
est change in relations between mine
owner and worker.
President White OF the mine work
ers, declared the miners will hold to
their original demands for increased
wages and improved conditions. Chair
man Kohlsen, Terre Haute, leading
the operators, insisted the owners Will
not consider the run-of-the-mine prop
Iosition but will demand ten cent re-
lduction in the mining rate. The con-
ference will continue probably week.
1 The operators want to reduce by
ten cents the rate OF rs cents now
paid for mining ton of lump coal.
Labor leaders in yesterdays session
defended the run-of-the-mine propos.
ton. They declare they would rather
be paid Is cents ton for all coal they
mined than even s1.05 for their dig
Igings which would not pass through
an inch and half screen, although
this latter alphabetically is 80 cents
:, lin advance of the present coal scale.
: Operators declared the miners would
mot be careful to preserve Jumps IN
der the mine run system and WOULD
shoot the coal all to pieces, spelling
J It's commercial value. The miner:
'-itried to controvert these charges BY
saying that ir every district the maxi
mum shot Of powder to be used fol
:, blasting could be fixed.
A nationwide coal strike which
T. will tie up indefinitely all the great
business interests of America, ap
u peared more certain than ever today
I when the sixty-four soft coal operators
e and miners from Ohio. Pennsylvania
IS Indiana and Illinois came to mid-da!
/ adjournment. Neither side hat
g swerved from it's original position, al
though the conference has now beeI
e in session for ten hours and dozens o
IL members have presented their argu
ments.
Inc 0rSI. Clause VI tuc Nhii
teen demands is the thing which i
being thrashed out This clause i
the demand that all miners be pai
y on -of-the-mine basis rathe
than on the screened coal basis, whic
;s used at present. This screene
coal basis pays the miners ninet,
70 five cents ton for all coal whic
- does not pass through an inch and
half screen. The run-of-the-mine basi
y would paw them for all coal, larg
II and small, at the rate Of 77.S5 cent
ton which would be ten cents to
= increase over the present basis.
~ Eve will not recede from our d.
70 mand for mine run basis. We al
going to have it. said President job
F. White, of the United Mine Worl
ers, Immediately after the meeting
- "We will never give in to run-o
-. the-mine basis; we cannot afford to
III said Chairman Kohlsen of the oper
! tors
~, ,e Big business all over the countl
- is so vitality interested in the outcon
~ of the coal mems negotiations hel
that many firms have Representative
10 right on the spot to report to the
the events of each days session.
ny is said that the steel trust, the Yves
- inghouse Co., and the General Electr
% Company all have men on the job
These companies realize that If
y" strike is declared the present hi'
prices Of coal will go still higher, III
~ that, in that event, as much coal
oe possible ought to be bought at ono
But they also know that if peace
proclaimed, the bottom will drop o
- OF present prices and to purcha
% coal under such conditions would
CCt tI, Er,a al cninido