coal trade bulletin - Clpdigital.org

THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN. 26
ILLINOIS AND INDIANA WAGE AGREEMENTS MADE ]
The joint conferences of Illinois and Indiana operatois and miners have agreed on wage
scales for the contract period, the agreements being practically renewals of the old scales.
ILLINOIS OPERATORS AND MINERS AGREE
ON OLD SCALE WITH MINOR CONCES­
SIONS BY LATTER.
The operators and miners of Illinois In joint conference
reached a satisfactory conclusion on the
wage question May 9, and the agreement was ratified
by the miners' convention, with the result
that May 13 was fixed as the date for signing the
formal agreement
The agreement provides that the scale of wages
which expired March 31 shall prevail for the ensuing
year, save that, because there were no boys
in the mines under 16 years of age, all boys will
be paid $1.50 per day instead of $1.25 per day for
boys under 16 years of age and over 14.
The arbitration question, which was one of the
prominent ones at the conference, was settled by
the adoption of a commission of three operators
and three miners to draw up an arbitration plan.
The contract provides, however, that neither side
shall take independent action if the other side
wishes to arbitrate.
The demand of four cents per ton increase for
the three southern counties of the state was lost
by a vote of 199 to 174 in the miners' convention
and it was withdrawn. The most of the delegates
to the convention were young men and radical.
Secretary-Treasurer Duncan McDonald, generally
a radical, made a strong plea for a settlement.
The agreement came after more than a month of
negotiations, and after the International officers
had made a plea with the miners to effect a settlement
of the wage difficulty.
Mr. Henry P. Cannon recently was chosen head
of the Darrow-Mann Co., one of the oldest New-
England coal houses. His career has been a
varied one, he having been a traveling salesman,
jobber, banker and mine operator. In 1907 he went
to Boston as the representative of the New River
Consolidated Coal & Coke Co., later spending two
years with the New England Coal & Coke Co.
He became interested in the company he now
heads in 1911, and has devoted his attention to
it and its affiliated interests from that time.
Mr. Charles H. Rowland, vice president of the
Association of Bituminous Coal Operators of Central
Pennsylvania, of Philipsburg, Pa„ is a candidate
for Congress on the Republican ticket of
the 21st congressional district.
INDIANA OPERATORS AND MINERS
SIGN WAGE SCALE FOR TWO YEARS.
Approval of the report of the sub-scale mommittee
my the joint convention of miners and operators
of District No. 11 at Terre Haute, lnd., May
7, ended long drawn out negotiations, and provided
for a contract for two years for Indiana bituminous
mines. Concessions were made by both miners
and operators, and when the final report on
the sub-committee was put before the joint convention
there were few dissenting votes. The
new contract is effect Jan. 1 and continues to
April 1. 1916.
The miners gained a point in their demand for
delivery of powder to working places. The newcontract
provides that the operators transport
powder from the magazines to working places to
be receipted for by miners. Operators and miners
will co-operate in preventing loss of powder.
The miners conceded a point to the operators in
a new rule for "docking" for mining dirty coal.
Fines are to be assessed for first and second offenses
and suspension for subsequent violations of the
rule. The fines are to be applied to the sick
and accident benefit fund. The rule calls for 50
cents fine for the first offense, and 75 cents for
the second offense and a two-day suspension for
the third offense.
HOCKING OPERATORS AND MINERS
TO RENEW JOINT CONFERENCE.
Renewal of negotiations over the wage scale fcr
the Hocking district of Ohio was begun in Columbus,
0.. May 11, after the operators had agreed
to such action.
This followed a refusal of the International
executive board of the United Mine Workers
to call a geneial strike in the state. This action
was requested May 5 by a committee from Ohio
that appeared before the board.
While this action was being taken the Hocking
district operators addressed a communication to
the Mine Workers' officials offering to renew negotiations.
This was agreeable to the men and the
representatives of both sides met May 11 to arrange
for the joint conference at a later date.
The operators of the No. S district of Ohio have
not joined in this move, which is understood to
be on the mine-run basis.