Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-04-11
MINE TROUBLES
ARE DISCUSSED
At CONFERENCE
Negotiations for Settlement
Of Wage Dispute in An
thracite Districts Reopen
ed at Philadelphia.
OPERATORS WANT
STRIKE COMMISSION

STRIKE COMMISSION
Make Proposition That Body
That Settled FormerTrou-
bles be Reconvened; b.
luminous Miners Ballot.
& philadelphia, April 10.-Anthraclte
y roal onerators at their conference with
1.-THE miners representatives tnls al.e 10,
H noon proposed that an anthraclte coai
n strife commission be reconvened 10
i take up the situation in the antnraclte
region with view or ARRANGING n0"
working agreement.
/ II was agreed to hold the operators,
proposition until sub-commlttee ol
! the two sides tried to flnd cohlmon
ground on which to come to an agree
ment without resorting to the services
OF the strike commission. Inc suo-
committee then began session.
!. three meetings have already bean
haid al, in New York. At the last
session, on March 81, negotla.ions
were broken off and todav's conls =
4 ence is the result OF request naus
! by the representatives or the nlnels
! for another meeting. AS tne Mlnels 4ls
took the initiative the opera.ve
i says it will be up to them 70 naAe
the first move today. TINS move, a.
cording to members or lne mtnSS ms,
committee, will be a relteratloh y,
their original demands suppiemen.ssvu l'!sv
81 arguments, # the operators WI
listen.
rae fttnerH' committee cannot, ~.
sent any other proposition e aslaes lrun W.
the nine demands agreed upon at tno
Pottsville convention last NoVempel.
II the coal companies have any propo- ro -.
! sitton to present it will nave To- pe
voted on by the miners eitner W
referendum or by action comprisinis
the three anthracite districts.
II is believed that today's meeting
10 only the start Of a series OF CONFER,
'ssences and that before they are enoeu
aH agreement will be reached.
President White in discussing the
situation declared he and his colleagues
wn,lld renew the demands which tney
Mad presented at the last conference
with the operators, and in case OF
hheir rejection there would be no arpl-
ftration and that the union would not
i annlv for mediation under the terms
! OF the Erdman act. s.
Want NO interference.
! The miners leader said neither Presl-
dent Taft nor former President Roose-
velt had taken any hand in the present
controversy. He declared that no gov
ernmental or political interference
was desired. -,
The demands, which again will be
submitted. were framed at conven-
tion of hard coal miners in Pottsvllie
last January and call Tor:
A one year agreement.
Eight hours day for all classes or
men.
Recognition of the union in negotlat-
.in9 wage agreements, and the right to
provided method of collecting rev.
enue for the organization.
A more convenient and uniform
system of adjusting grievances, within
a reasonable time limit.
Demand Wage Increase.
A 20 per cent increase in wage.
A minimum of $3.50 a day for all
miners and $2.75 for laborers for con-
sideration work.
That the system whereby contract
miner has more than one working
place in the mine or employees more
than two laborers shall be abolished.
That the right of check weighmen
and check docking bosses shall be
recognized, and that they shall not be
interfered with in the performance of
their work.
That all coal be mined and paid for
nv the ton of 2,24O pounds wherever
practicable.
Bitumjnous Miners Vote Today.
Indianapolis, Ind, April 10.-Soft
coal miners today at the meeting
places of their local unions are vot-
ing on accepting or rejecting the two
wear wage contract drafted by the
recent Joint conference of representa-
tives of miners and operators at Cleve-
land. That more than 80 per cent of
the miners will approve is the belief
Of their national officials.
Three hundred thousand ballots
were sent from the headquarters of
the United Mine Workers of America
in this city. It is expected that 250, 900
will be cast.
The terms of the new wage con;
tract, which grants 81 a ton for mined
coal, are:
Five cents ton increase for screen
ed coal: 8 cents ton increase for run
OF mine coal cents ton increase
for machine mined coal; SIG per ton
increase for day work.
The ballots are to be returned to
the mine workers offices here and II
is expected that the result OF the cleo
'tion will be known by the end OF the
week.