Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-01-21

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!. scale committee act as a policy com
: mittee and outline plan for furthe
wage negotiations. This policy com
mittee made recommendations. which
We're adopted by the convention, tina
; the scale committee have power to ne
) gotiate wage agreement with the un
. Outstanding that it must be approved
, by referendum vote of the membership
: of the organization or by approval Of
a reassembled convention.
Later a call was made for resump
: ton of the joint conference which had
failed of agreement at Indianapolis
This second conference began al
Cleveland, March 30, 1912, and was
in continuance till March 80 An
agreement was reached and was sub
mitted to a referendum vote of the
entire membership. The policy com
mittee, in a report signed by John P.
White, PRESIDENT; Frank ]. Hays, vice
president, and Edwin Perry. secretary
and treasurer, United Mine Workers,
made a recommendation that the
agreement be voted on favorably by
members of the United Mine Work
! ers.
The agreement was as follows:
First. That the price of mining be
increased five cents on inch and
| quarter screened lump coal, pick min
ing, in western Pennsylvania thin
vein, the hooking, the basing district
of Ohio and both block and blum
nous districts of Indiana; and three
cents per ton on mine-run coal, pick
mining. in the bituminous district of
Indiana and Illinois.
Second. That the price for MACHINE
mines be increased four cents per ton
on screened lump coal in western
Pennsylvania thin vein, the hooking,
the basing district of Ohio; four cents
per ton on screened districts of Indi-
ana and three cents per ton on mine
run coal in the bituminous districts of
Indiana and Illinois.
Third. That internal differences be
referred for adjustment in the various
districts affected. it being understood
with the condition of the Columbus
day wage scale of 1898.
Fourth. That the inside day wage
scale shall be advanced $40 per cent
with the Columbus day wage scale of
1898.
Fifth. That all narrow, dead and
work and room turning and outside
day labor shall be paid a proportionate
advance with the pick mining rate,
viz. 5.26 per cent.
Sixth. That the screen hereby adopt |
ed for the state of Ohio, western Penn
sylvania, and the bituminous district |
of Indiana shall be uniform in size, six
feet wide by II feet long, built of fiat |
or Akron shaped bar, of not less than !
ave-eights of an inch surface, with |
one and one-fourth inches between |
bars, free from obstruction and that |
such screen shall rest upon suffi-
cient number of bearings to hold the |
bars in proper position.
Seventh. That the block coal dis
trict of Indiana may continue the use
of the diamond bar screen, the screen
to be of ~ feet superficial area, of uni
form size and one and one-fourth
inches between the bars, free from OBJ
and that such screen shall
rest upon a sufficient number of bear
ings to hold the bars in proper posi-
ton.
Eighth. The above scale to be bas-
the Columbus day wage scale of 1898.
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by the coal companies in
the employment of Mine Workers on
account of creed, color or nationality.
Dr. because of activity in matters af.
tecting the organization.
The referendum vote of the dis
-ricts on the agreement showed a total
Of los, 7091a for it and only 32,1391a :
against it.
The large and pronounced major
ty in favor of the Cleveland agree
nent Immediately gave the organiza- !
ion great Impetus says Mr.. White, ,
and strengthened il everywhere, for J
t meant industrial peace in practic- :
lily all of the organized districts of
he country on an improved basis; it !,
lad the effect of creating an inteili- .
rent unrest in the ncnunion fields and
he coal companies were compelled to .
.dvance wages and improve conditions
n the unorganized sections that
figured well for the campaign we
we're about to make in these fields
ong considered immune from the eff
orts of the United Mine Workers. 1t !,
ad a wholesome effect on the nego-
iations in the anthracite region and :,
then We take into consideration that
his settlement was secured under I'M !,
avorable circumstances and after :
vercoming many difficulties in the :,
'ay of reorganizing the interstate !.
pint movement. it is all the more sig =
ificant.
Following the announcement of thet :
ote each district was at liberty to re- :,
lme work under the Cleveland settle =
tent and in harmony with the policy -
instructions western :
ennsylyania. Ohio and Illinois resum- ::
forthwith. Indiana districts Nos :,
and I'D remained idle and for time =
looked as though serious trouble :,
ould be encountered in connection :
18th the weekly pay day. The weekly .
~ was one of the demands of the !"
nited Mine Workers and was waived =
the final settlement reached at =
Ieyeland, and while ahe Indiana min