The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1912-03-21
HOPES TOHEAD0FF
i BIG COAL STRIKE
Arbitration Step on Deadlock
Taken in Congress.
BLOW FOR EASTERN OWNERS
Decision Of Commerce Commission
Granting pifterentlsi Freight
Rates May Bring Peace In
the eitunlnous Fields.

Washington, March 20.-The house
committee in interstate commerce de-
cided TO appoint q subcommittee 10
consider and report Immediately KEEP
resentative Lees bill to extend the
Erdman arbitration and mediation act
to apply TO coal mine owners and op-
orators. ..
Representative Lee. who is pressing
the bill, believes IL would avert the
threatened strike of anthracite coal
miners.
No action in connection with the
coal labor situation has been taken by
the house labor committee. Chalr-
man Wilson said nothing could De
done until after the proposed suspen'
sion OF work April l.
Personally, | believe agreements
will be reached TO avert coal strike,
said Mr.. Wilson.
sonbsheII for Operators.
Cleveland. O., March 20.-Just as
the coal operators of western Pennsyl'
vania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois had
voted TO insist upon a reduction OF
wages in the joint conference with
the miners, the interstate commerce
commission unexpectedly handed
down a decision that acted like a
bombshell on the eastern operators.
The decision gave a differential In
freight rates of about twenty cents
ton in favor of western Pennsylvania
and Ohio over Virginia and West Vir-
gnia coal shipped to Ashtabula, o.
The operators learned the news
after their conference had adjourned.
Joy for Miners.
The miners gleefully received the
news, as operators of those states
Lad resolved not TO consider an in
crease of any kind and II was under
stood that the farthest they would
90 in making a settlement would be 10
renew. the present wage scale and
working conditions. Heretofore the
argument of the operators Of those
states has been that the competition
OF the Virginia fields made II impos-
sbie for them TO pay even the pres
ent scale. Now that there is differ
entail in freight rates Of 20 cents a
ton in favor OF western Pennsylvania
and Ohio, the miners say the claim of
100 great competition has been re.
I moved.
So far as the operators Of Indiana
! and Illinois are concerned they APP
! pear to lie anxious to make settle.
| ment and via 80 long way TO accom-.
! plish that end.
Workers Granted Raise.
Pottsville, Pa, March 20.-The Pine
Hill Coal company, operated by Scran'
ton capitalists and situated at Miners
Vile, near here, posted a notice an.
nOuncing that the employees would be
granted an increase Of wages OF ten
per cent. to take effect April !, and
that working matters will be satisfac.
torily adjusted by the company with
the men.
British Wage Bill in Commons.
London, March 20-Premler AS.
quith introduced in the house Of com.
mons the coal mines bill, intended to
establish a f1xed minimum wage for
underground workers.
The premier explained that the
measure was only a temporary one.
the specific purpose Of which was to
settle the present difficulty in the coal
trade in Great Britain.
French Strike Is Spreading.
Domain, France. March 2O.--The
strike which broke out among the coal
miners of this region is extending
throughout the district. or the 1900
miners attached to the pits about
1000 have quit.
German Strike Is Breaking.
Berlin, March 20-The strike in
the Westphalian coal districts Is be-
! ing broken up rapidly. Twenty thou
sand Of the 10000 strikers resumed
/ work
The situation in other mining dis
tricts has not changed except that a
few hundred men have struck work in
! Silesia.