The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1916-05-12
SIX THOUSAND MEN MAY BE
FORCED OUT OF EMPLOY
MENT.
TURN DOWN ULTIMATUM
BY n Vote Of 80 to 2 Conference
At Central City Refuses De-
mands OF Operators.


vote of 80 to 2, delegates from the
forty-one local unions of District No.
%. United Mineworkers of America,
decided TO turn down an ultimatum
issued to them by the Western Ken
tucky Coal Operators Association.
A report will be made to the opera
tors in Louisville May IL, and unless
the operators yield 5000 union coal
miners in Western Kentucky will be
thrown out of employment.
The meeting of delegates here to-
day followed an open convention ut
which action was decided on. II the
operators association refuses to re-
new the present wage scale and pres
ent working conditions. miners will
attempt to make agreements with in
dividual operators. whether members
of the association or not. The miners
say they will also continue to report
for work at all mines and compel the
operators to take initiative in stop
ping work.
New York Scale Urged.
Seventeen OF the delegates present
stood out for demanding the New
York scale. which would mean an
increase of per cent. but a major
ity voted to hold out only for the
present scale on account of Compel
ing nonunion counties in Western
Kentucky.
The lockout which the operators
say will come will affect Mullen
berg, Ohio. Daviess. Union, Hender-
son, Webster and Mclean counties
principally.
The conference of the miners was
called to order in the Gish opera
house at 1890 o'clock. President
Pollock introduced w. o. Smith.
chairman of the Scale, Committee,
who reviewed the joint conferences
of March 81, April and April 20.
He then read the ultimatum OF the
operators, Offering the old wage
scale but entailing conditions which,
he said, amounted to a reduction. He
asked that the committee be author
lied to demand the old wage scale
and the old working conditions.
Federation Against Strike.
John l.. Lewis, of Springfield. Ill,
representing the American Fedora
ton of Labor, and Adam Wilkinson,
of Montana, a National Executive
, Board member of the United Nine
workers, asserted that the treasury
of the national organization had been
depleted by strikes, in West Virginia
Vancouver Island, Colorado and
Eastern Ohio. Both men advised
against a strike in Western Ken
lucky. provided present conditions
NAV be maintained. However, they
urged the miners to stand on their
present wages and working condi-
lions with assurances of aid If need
ed.
President Pollock, of District No.
2S, stated that he did not concur in
the recommendation of the Scale
Committee that another joint con-
ference be held in Louisville May IL.
He said that he had conferred with
Western Kentucky operators and
knew that employees of 1000 miners
would sign the old contract imme-
diately. He believed that operators
employing $500 men would sign up
within a week. He advised that FUR
Their negotiations with the Western
Kentucky Coal Operators Associa-
ton be dropped, and those opera
tors who would agree to the old scale
be signed up at once.
w. d. Duncan. vice president OF
District No. 23. disagreed with MT.
Pollock on breaking of negotiations
He asked the convention to empower
its committee to turn down the OPP
orators ultimatum, but to meet the
operators May IL in Louisville for a
final conference. Should that tali'
he advised making contracts with In