coal trade bulletin - Clpdigital.org

THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN. 23
CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA CONFERENCE DISAGREES -MINES IDLE
The Central Pennsylvania wage conference at
Philadelphia adjourned Saturday evening, April
4, without an agreement, but to reassemble at the
joint call of President B. M. Clark of the operators'
association and President Patrick Gilday of
the miners. At a meeting of the larger tonnage
producers on March 10 they agreed to close their
mines until an agreement is reached. These interests
produce about 85 per cent, of the Central
Pennsylvania tonnage, as represented in their
association.
In the joint conference the miners' committee
would not consent to submit to referendum vote
the operators' proposition for a strict renewal of
the old agreement. The ground for this is that
it could not be done until the International referendum
approves the basis. Besides the miners
were holding out for some concessions including
the car-pushing issue. The niiners offered a revised
proposition on the car-pushing question as
follows:
"Philadelphia, March 31, 1914.
"Rule 21, amended by adding the following:
"On and after April 1, 1914, at all mines where
the standard of the loaded mine car (Note—by
standard of the loaded mine car is meant the
weight of the coal only in tiie mine car) is one
ton five hundred weight or under, the miners
shall push the car both ways in their rooms,
empty and loaded.
"Where the standard is one ton fifteen hundred
weight and over one ton five hundred weight, the
operator shall push the car one way, whichever
way is the heaviest grade, and the miner shall
push the car the other way.
"Where the standard of the mine car is over
one ton fifteen hundred weight, the operator shall
pull the car both ways. (Note—The ton referred
to is 2240 pounds and the hundred weight is 112
pounds).
"Where cars are pulled one or both ways under
the 1912 agreement, the same shall be continued
under this agreement, except where the standard
weight exceeds one ton fifteen hundred weight; in
such cases the operators shall pull the cars both
ways.
"It is also understood that the standard of the
mine cars shall not be changed from the standard
existing under the 1912 agreement, except by mutual
consent of the miners and operators."
The operators presented as their final propositions,
the following:
April 1. 1914.
We, the subscale committee of the Operators'
Association of Central Pennsylvania, submit to
you our final propositions.
FIRST PROPOSITION.
The scale agreement, made at Du Bois, Fa., in
April, 1912, to be renewed for three years from
April 1, 1914, with the following understanding:
The price of pick mining to be reduced three
cents per ton and the price of machine loading
to be reduced two cents per ton. Both these
reductions being on the gross ton basis.
The prices on the net ton basis to be reduced
in equivalent amounts.
The following classes of labor to be reduced to
the price paid under the scale agreement dated
Altoona, Pa.. April 23, 1910:
Cutting and scraping, either by the ton, task
or day (was advanced 4.17 per cent.); dead work
and yardage, all inside day labor, excepting cutting
and scraping (was advanced 4.44 per cent.);
all outside day labor and trappers and patchers
was advanced 5 per cent.); also any other classes
of labor not herein mentioned, reduced to the
scale dated Altoona, Pa., April 23. 1910.
The following addition to be made to Rule 21.
On ancl after April 1, 1914, at all mines where
the standard of the loaded mine car. ( Note—By
standard of the loaded mine car is meant the
weight of the car only, in the mine car) is 1 ton
7 c-wt. or under, the miners shall push the car
both ways in their rooms, empty and loaded.
WTrere the standard is 1 ton 11 cwt. and over 1
ton 7 cwt., the operator shall pull the car one
way (whichever way is the heaviest grade) and
the miner shall push tbe car the other way.
Where the standard of the mine car is over
1 ton 17 cwt. the operator shall push the car
both ways.
(Note: The ton referred to is 2,24c pounds and
the hundred weight is 112 pounds).
It is understood the operator shall have the
right to increase or decrease the standard of the
car at any of his tipples at any time during the
life of this agreement.
This proposition must be accepted or declined
in whole, and not in part.
SECOND PROPOSITION.
We agree that we will renew and continue in
its entirety for two years from this date, to March
31, 1916, the contract dated at Du Bois, Pa., April
20, 1912, without any variations or alterations.
Both of these propositions are made for immediate
acceptance, and are made by this sub-scale
committee with the understanding that they can
be withdrawn at any time.