The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1912-03-21
CONFERENCE BETWEEN UNION
LEADERS AND OPERATORS AT
CLEVELAND FUTILE.
Men WANT INCREASE and
OPERATORS DECREASE WAGES
White Says Mines Will Close April
First as No Agreement Could Be
Reached Before That Time-350, 900
Miners Will Be Affected.

Cleveland, o., March 21.-Wage dis
cussions between the operators and
representatives of 100000 union min
ers in the bituminous coal fields of
Western Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana
and Illinois, aiming at averting a pro-
longed suspension of business after
April /, and also to avert a possible
strike, were without definite results.
The prospect that all bituminous
coal mines would be closed after the
LIST of the month, pending the making
of new two-year working and wage
agreement, was said to be imminent.
1t also was said the lack of a wage
scale in the Central States would
leave the union bituminous coal min
ers in other states without a basis
upon which to work, and they would
have to close, entailing idleness for
more than $4,000 miners. After yes
terday's conference adjourned over
until today, the union officials and
operators announced that only the
first of the miners demands had been
considered, and no vote had been TAX
en-. This demand is that all the men
be paid on the run of mine" basis.
In the REIMBURSEMENT of this basis,
the miners demand an increase of tan
cents a ton over the average price
now paid. They also want shorter
working hours. -,
The operators ask 10 per cent re-
duetion in the present rate. II was
pointed out that continuation of the
present scale would be in the nature
of compromise between the oppos-
ing demands, but the miners assert
they will not return to work without
more pay and a material shortening
of hours.
Asked if he considered the confer
ence indicated an early settlement,
John P. White, president of the United
Mine Workers of America, who, with
eight union officials from each of the
| four states directly concerned, is
pressing the demands, said:
THE conference was merely Skin
ish. 1t does not indicate anything
1t sapparent, however, that the btu
minous coal mines will close on April
/, because no agreement can be reach
ed before then, and even if an agree
ment is reached, it will have to be
submitted to a referendum vote of
the union, or the union will have to
be called in convention. Today, prob
ably, we will take up the demands one
by one. Only after we have gone over
all of them and have started voting
can We determine whether there will
be an early settlement"
will a strike be called if the pres
ent conference fails to agree Mr..
White was asked:
THAT should be left to the imagi-
nation"
J. G. Kilsen, Terre Haute, Ind, who
was appointed spokesman for the
thirty-two operators here, said the
operators regarded suspension as
, unavoidable.
CONFERENCE POSTPONED.
Washington, March 21.-President
Taft yesterday postponed Indefinitely
his proposed conference with John
Mitchell regarding the coal situation
! This announcement from the White
House, unaccompanied by any reason
for change in the plans, came soor
= after a conference between the Presi
dent and Secretary of Commerce ant
Labor Nagel who saw the President
, shortly after his return from New
England
. Secretary Nagel and Dr. Charles p
g Neil, United States Commissioner o
] Labor, are keeping in touch with de
veleopments in the situation. Whil'
officials are extremely reticent as Il
the cause Of the postponement of tn,
conference with the labor leader
which had been scheduled for Frida,
G or Saturday, it was believed general,
d that the President and Secretary feal
ed the activity of the administrator
! at this time might be premature an
= might complicate the situation.
=
BISHOP PARET MEMORIAL.
Iln1Ai..ao... l..