For the operators: W. W. Keefer, G. W. Schleuderberg, Pennsylvania; C. E. Maurer, E. A. Cole, Ohio; P. H. Penna, A. M. Ogie, Indiana; Harry N. Taylor, A. J. Moorshead, Illinois.

President John White and J. C. Kolsem, an Indiana operator and President of the Joint Conference, had been placed on the committee, but had no vote. Again, both sides presented demands; again, these were voted down and a dead-lock ensued.

February 1, the sub-committee made a report to the joint committee that they were unable to reach any agreement. They were discharged, and a second sub-committee appointed, as follows:

For the miners: Francis Feehan, Pennsylvania; John Moore, Ohio; W. D. Van Horn, Indiana; John H. Walker, Illinois.

For the operators: W. K. Field, Pennsylvania: E. A. Cole, Ohio; J. C. Kolsem, Indiana; H. N. Taylor, Illinois.

John P. White, at the head of the committee, was to call the Joint Conference together whenever there seemed any probability of agreement.

On March 20, the sub-committee renewed negotiations in Cleveland, Ohio. On March 29, they reached an agreement providing for an increase of 52 per cent, the agreement to last for two years. The alternative, a strike, the committee deemed unwise, urging that "poor work and the experience of the past two years, in which we were compelled to levy assessments in order to prosecute several strikes, are strong reasons why we believe you would prefer this contract rather than a strike. In addition, active competition is keenly felt by both the operators and miners of Ohio, Western Pennsylvania, Indiana, the Southwest, and many other well organized fields, from the non-union sections of our country." As gains from accepting the agreement, it was pointed out: "This agreement with peace will enable us to prosecute a vigorous campaign in the non-union fields during the next two years. It means that we have re-established the interstate joint movement, and secured an advance in wages without a strike which insures peace for two years at the highest scale of wages ever secured by the miners of this country, all of which is substantial progress even though we have not secured all our demands."

After the agreement had been approved by the general committee, it was referred to the local unions, subject to their action on April 10. The official returns on the referendum vote, April 25, showed 109,709% for the Cleveland agreement and 32,139% against.

On Friday, April 26, the representatives of the bituminous mine operators of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Western Pennsylvania, and of the United Mine Workers of America of those districts, convened in Indianapolis and signed. the wage agreement ratified by the referendum vote of the miners. Here follows the agreement:

"The following agreement made and entered into this 30th day of March, 1912, covering the prices and conditions of mining in Western Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, for the two years ending March 31, 1914, to wit:

"First. That the price of mining be increased 5 cents per ton on inch and a quarter screened lump coal, pick mining, in Western Pennsylvania thin vein, the Hocking the basing district of Ohio, and both block and bituminous districts of Indiana; and 3 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 4 cents per ton on screened lump coal in Western Pennsylvania thin vein, the Hocking the basing district of Ohio; 4 cents per ton on screened lump coal in the block and bituminous districts of Indiana, and 3 cents per ton on mine-run coal in the bituminous district of Indiana and Illinois.

"Third. That internal differences be referred for adjustment in the various districts affected, it being understood that nothing shall be done in district or sub district conventions that will increase the cost of production or reduce the earning capacity of the

men.

"Fourth. That the inside day wage shall be advanced 5.26 per cent with the conditions of the Columbus Day Wage Scale of 1898.

"Fifth. That all narrow, dead 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 adopted for the State of Ohio, western district of Indiana, shall be uniform in size, six feet wide by twelve feet long, built of flat Akron shaped bar, of not less than five-eighths of an inch surface, with one and one fourth inches between bars, free from obstruction, and that such screen shall rest upon a sufficient number of bearings to hold the bars in proper position.

"Seventh. That the block coal district of Indiana may continue the use of the diamond bar screen, the screen to be of seventy-two feet superficial area, of uniform size, and one and one-fourth inches between the bars, free from obstruction, and that such screen shall rest upon a sufficient number of bearings to hold the bars in proper position.

"Eighth. The above scale to be based on an eight-hour day, as defined by the Columbus Day Wage Scale of 1898.

"Ninth. That there shall be no discrimination by the coal companies in the employment of mine workers on account of creed, color, or nationality, or because of activity in matters affecting the organization.”

The agreement is to be the basis for all contracts made for the bituminous field within the two years of its life.

The next step in the collective bargaining was for the different miners' unions to make their local bargains with the operators' associations. At this stage difficulties developed in Indiana and West Virginia.

The bi-annual wage conference of the United Mine Workers and the Indiana Bituminous Coal Operators' Association convened in Terre Haute April 30. The sessions were characterized by spirited debates, frequent resort to technical rules in order to carry points, tenacious maintenance of demands on both sides, and frequent dead-locks. The miners' demands were set forth in the report of the Miners' Policy Committee, as follows:

"First. A readjustment of the machine question. Demanded that the Cleveland increase in machine mines be given to the loaders. Differentials existing between districts north and south of the Vandalia track in respect to the prices paid for machine cutting and loading be eliminated.

"Second. That no miner shall be compelled to lose time on account of the falling of slate or because of water in the working places, or for lack of road.

"Third. That when a part of the mine is shut down the men so affected shall be entitled to their share of the work in the parts of mine that continue at work.

"Fourth. That where a company wrongfully stops a man's turn, such company

shall remunerate him for time so lost.

"Fifth. That we demand the weekly pay."

The two demands causing most trouble, were weekly pay and the reduction of the price of powder 50 cents a keg. The operators refused to grant weekly pay unless the miners could show that it would not increase the cost of production and, hence, would be in line with the Cleveland agreement. This ultimately proved to be the bone of contention which the miners refused to give up, even though advised by their international officers, Frank Hayes, Vice-President, and Edwin Perry, International Secretary, that there was a general understanding in the sub-committee at Cleveland that the Indiana Mine Workers' officials would not at that time demand a weekly pay-day. After futile efforts to reach an agreement, a sub-committee was appointed to struggle with the problems. When the joint conference adjourned May 4, the miners refused to return to work pending negotiation of a wage-scale. Finally, May 23, acceptance of a tentative understanding for a two-year agreement and the submission of the weekly pay question to the miners for a referendum vote ended one of the stormiest joint conferences in the history of the Indiana coal industry. The Indiana miners of District No. 11 ratified the contract by an overwhelming majority. Work in the mines began June 3.

Some of the Indiana miners' unions were able to make local contracts securing weekly pay. Meanwhile, in Ohio, Illinois, and the Southwest the miners have made agreements securing increased wages; in Alabama an "unsolicited" increase has been granted by the operators. They have evidently surmised what was coming.

In West Virginia, the miners of District No. 17 were unable to make a satisfactory agreement with the operators, and a strike began on April 18. On May 2, a partial settlement was reached by accepting one-half the Cleveland advance and the elimination of Section 4 from the contract. All the operators in the association had signed, except those in Paint Creek where the strike still continues.

The Anthracite Agreement.

Negotiations between the anthracite miners and operators began in New York, February 27, 1912, when the miners formally presented their demands. These the operators formally refused, March 13, when they presented their counter proposition, offering renewal of the award of the Anthracite Coal Strike Commission. Two days later, the miners refused the proposal, stating, as objections, that the award did not offer sufficient compensation for the increase in cost of living, or for the hazardous nature of the work, and that recognition of the union in Districts Nos. 1, 7, and 9 was essential to the welfare of the men and the union. The conference abruptly adjourned March 15.

Through correspondence with George F. Baer, "the grim old Covenanter of the coal fields," President White secured a second conference held at Philadelphia, April 10. Following a strong plea in behalf of the miners' demands, Mr. Baer proposed that all difficulties be submitted to the survivors of the Anthracite Coal Commission, vacancies to be filled in some "fair

manner." As the proposition met with no favor it was withdrawn. The joint conference then determined to submit all questions to a sub-committee, consisting of an equal number of operators and miners. The members of the committee were: Messrs. White (as Mr. White was ill, his place on the committee was filled by William Green, former State Senator for Ohio, and statistician for the union), Dempsey, Kennedy, and Fahey, for the miners; Messrs. Warriner, Richards, Williams, and Phillips, for the operators. The conference then adjourned, subject to the call of the sub-committee.

The sub-committee reached an agreement April 24, and reported to the general committee, at New York City, May 2. The terms of the agreement are:

"First. That the terms and conditions awarded by the Anthracite Coal Strike Commission and supplemented by the agreements subsequent thereto be continued for a further period of four years, ending March 31, 1916, except in the following particulars, to wit:

"(a) The contract rates and wage scales for all employes shall be increased 10 per cent over and above the contract rates and wage scales established by the Anthracite Coal Strike Commission as effective April 1, 1903. The provisions of the sliding scale are by mutual consent abolished.

"(b) All contract miners and laborers when working on consideration shall be paid not less than the rate paid company miners and laborers at the mine where the work is being performed.

"(c) There shall be an equitable division of mine cars as set forth in the award of the Anthracite Coal Strike Commission, and the decisions of the Conciliation Board; and, further, the rates paid by any contract miner to his employes shall not be less than the standard rate for that particular class of work.

"(d) At each mine there shall be a Grievance Committee, consisting of not more than three employes, and such committee shall under the terms of this agreement take up for adjustment with the proper officials of the company all grievances referred to them by employes who have first taken up said grievances with the foreman and failed to effect proper settlement of the same. It is also understood that the member of the Board of Conciliation elected by the Mine Workers' organization, or his representative, may meet with the mine committee and company officials in adjusting disputes. In the event of the mine committee failing to adjust with the company officials any grievance referred to them, they may refer the grievance to the members of the Board of Conciliation in their district for adjustment, and in case of their failure to adjust the same, they shall refer the grievance to the Board of Conciliation for final settlement, as provided in the award of the Anthracite Coal Strike Commission, and the agreements subsequent thereto, and whatever settlement is made shall date from the time the grievance is raised.

"(e) Contract miners shall have the right to employ check weighmen and check docking bosses, as provided by the award of the Anthracite Coal Strike Commission and the decisions of the Board of Conciliation, and when so employed their rights shall be recognized and they shall not be interfered with in the proper performance of their work, provided they do not interfere with the proper operation of the colliery. Check weighmen and check docking bosses shall be elected by contract miners in meeting assembled specifically for that purpose, and for such terms as said miners may determine, and the chairman and secretary of said meeting shall certify such election to the mine foreman.

"(f) For the purpose of facilitating the adjustment of grievances, company officials at each mine shall meet with the Grievance Committee of employes and prepare a statement setting forth the rates of compensation paid for each item of work under the provisions of this agreement and certify the same to the Board of Conciliation within sixty days after the date of this agreement."

The full conference committee failed to ratify the tentative agreement reached by the sub-committee. In reply to the operators' charge of bad faith, the miners' representatives issued the following statement:

"There seems to be a wrong impression prevailing with respect to the work and authority of the joint sub-committee of four operators and four miners. They were appointed by the full committee of twenty with power to make recommendations only. The following statement by Mr. Baer, taken from the meeting at Philadelphia when this sub-committee was created, makes this perfectly plain:

"Mr. Baer: 'It is apparent that effective work is unnecessarily delayed by a large committee and we think that greater progress would be made with a sub-committee of four operators and four representatives of the anthracite mine workers being appointed, with power to make recommendations of adjustments, which recommendations shall only be effective if and when they are approved by the committee as a whole.'

"It is clear by the foregoing statement that the full committee alone had authority to pass upon a tentative agreement, and in line with this understanding the representatives of the miners on the full committee considered the report of the sub-committee, which did not meet with their approval.

"We have decided to hold a convention of the anthracite mine workers at Wilkesbarre on Tuesday, May 14, at which time the entire matter will be submitted to them. Our future course will be decided by the action taken at this convention. We have not yet broken off negotiations with the operators, but expect to meet again and hope to reach an agreement."

The miners' conference committee evidently refused to assume the responsibility of adopting the agreement, and decided to have the men affected determine the important matter for themselves.

The operators, in turn, through their committee of ten, had this to say:

"After further consideration of the anthracite labor situation, as it developed at yesterday's joint conference, the operators hold to their position that they have a right to expect the leaders of the mine workers to exert their strongest efforts to bring about a ratification of the agreement proposed by the joint sub-committee of mine workers and operators.

"This sub-committee was created as a result of a resolution introduced at the suggestion of Mr. John P. White, President of the United Mine Workers of America, at the joint conference in Philadelphia on April 10. The members of the sub-committee on the mine workers' side were Mr. White and the presidents of the three anthracite districts of the United Mine Workers of America, Mr. John T. Dempsey, Mr. Thomas Kennedy, and Mr. John Fahy, all recognized leaders of the anthracite mine workers.

"The report recommending the proposed agreement was unanimous. It was signed by all four of these gentlemen, as well as by the operators' four representatives, after two weeks' constant negotiations.

"During the course of the negotiations the full committees of both the mine workers and the operators were kept informed of the details discussed and of the progress made toward a settlement. Thus the proposed agreement, as it finally appeared in the report of the joint sub-committee, was not arrived at without careful consideration by the responsible parties on both sides.

"The proposed agreement contains many features that are not agreeable to the operators, but the Committee of Ten appointed their representatives on the sub-committee with the intention of standing by their decision, and they have stood by it.

"It can not be expected that the operators will have any further proposition to advance, in view of the great care and thoroughness with which this one was prepared, and in view of the authority and standing of the mine workers' representatives who took part in its preparation."