The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1913-08-28

The mine workers filed their writ
ten refusal to the propositions, and
the companies filed their written ac-
ceptance to the boards propositions.
Chairman Dysart of the board then
asked the miners If they had any
thing to say that might suggest q
q, plan whereby the strike could be
settled.
! Mr.. Davidson, one of the execu-
tive committee aud organizers Of
the Western Federation of Miners,
, speaking for the miners, said In
substance that the question of wages
was unimpOrtant, and therefore, if
the companies would agree to form
/ ally aud In writing recognize the
, Western Federation of Miners and
enter into contract with them as
such, then the wage question and
all other matters of difference could
and would be speedily settled. This
the companies very positively but
cOurteonsly refused to do.
Mr.. Davidson then said that all
/ mines must be shut down and all
pumps must be stopped, and that If
they were not shut down and all
work stopped there might be serious
trouble.
At this juncture Mr.. A. j. Meier,
second vice president and general
manager of the st. Louis Smelling
Il Refining Company, which is the
only company in the county that
has continuously operated its pumps
since the strike began, said that un-
der those conditions his company
would have to shut down its pumps
and electric lighting plant, which
furnished water and lights to the
general public at St. Francois, or
Taylortown; that he could put in
armed workmen, but feared to pre-
cipitate a riot, and asked Mr.. David.
son to direct enough former union
employees to continue work at the
pumps for the double purpose of
furnishing water and lights and to
keep the mines clear of water, so
that there would be no delay in put.
ting in full crew after the trouble
was settled
Mr.. Davidson kept silence, not say.
ing whether he would or would not,
and his silence was generally nc.
cepted as a refusal to comply with
= the request.
After considerable discussion the
= board adjourned to . o'clock Tues.
= day afternoon, and Chairman Dysart
: announced positively that at that
time Mr.. Toll, the other member OF
the board would he here.
Settlement Effected.
The situation Mt this time look ed
discouraging and settlement fur.
ther away than ever, but as In many
: other instances "it was the unex,
pected that happened, Shortly af.
ter noon Tuesday Mr.. II. p. Toll
the member of the board who had
been absent during the eight days
| of tense and anxious deliberations
arrived, and he got busy comforting
with both sides. The board met
shortly after two O'Clock and con.
siderable discussion followed. Mr.
. Davidson representing the miners
! declared that the wage scale of this
E. district was lower than any In the
! United States and that the miners
i would not consent to raise of less
/ than 30 cents day.
Mr.. Guess, superintendent Of tn,
Federal mines, submitted statistic,
showing that the wage scale In the
/ Joplin district for ten hours worl
I was S2,5i for underground work ant
g $2.44 for mill work; that the loves
5 wage paid In this district was 81 go
1 and that you could count on you
! fingers the number of men gettiny
: this small wage, while for eigh
hours work the average wage wa
: $3.50 for ungergronnd labor and S. i
4 for overground or mill laborers
= which made the wages average NOR,
e per hour than at Joplin.
D About O'Clock the board sub
a mitted the same proposition to botl
parties that had been rejected b.