Jasper County Democrat, Volume 9, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 June 1906 — LAW IS DISREGARDED [ARTICLE]

LAW IS DISREGARDED

Curious Facts Alleged of the Operation of Coal Mines in Indiana. SALE OF POWDER IS ONE CASE ; i _ i .. Conference on the Mine Scale Want* More Time—Auto Saves a Life, for Once. Terre Haute. Ind . .Tune 1. The sub-committee of miners ami operators is in such disagreement on some points of tlie wage contract that further unexpected delay in reaching a final agreement caused the call of a meeting Qf the miners’ convention of wore than 100 delegates for yesterday, to make provision for the delegates to remain longer in the city. These delegates have been kept here since the scale was submitted to a joint committee more than a week ago, the purpose being Io have them at hand to net quickly on any report from the committee. Struggle Over Ijabor Conditions. The nature of the disagreement is not known, but the leaders on both sides still say that the issues will be fought until an agreement is reached. In the “labor conditions’’ over which the sub-committee of eight has been struggling for a week. Is a number of clauses which would not be understood by the general public, but there are others which show how little dej>endence the miners place in the law of the state. The decision of the Indiana. supreme court tins week calls special attention to the fact It was a test case of the seml-montihly wage law, and while the higher court has upheld the law the miners refer to the fact that it took five years to have this done. Because of these delays the miners fight out questions in the Joint conference which are supposed to lie eov ered by state law, aud the wage contract not Infrequently has specific agreements contrary to a state law. Case of Purchase of Powder. The most notable instance Is that the miner shall buy his [mwder from the employing operator, and at $1.75 a keg. The miner can buy the same brand of any dealer at $1.25. The operator Insists that this profit on powder enters Into the question of competitive market conditions. In signing such an agreement l>oth operators and miners flat ly disregard —a —state — la wr The decision of the* supreme court also is against the metal checks in company stores which are issued to miners between pay days and which are discounted at the company store if the miner wishes part of the amount in cash. It is said that this 10 percent, discount at some mines used to run ns high as SIOO a month to the operator. MOYER’S CASE IS POSTPONED Trial of the Alleged Steunenberg Assassins Will Await a Supreme Court Decision. Caldwell, Ida., .Tune 1. —When the cases of Charles JI. Moyer. William D. Haywood and George A. Pettibone, charged with the murder of ex-Govern-or Frank Steunenburg, came up tn the district court counsel for the prosecution, acting upon the suggestion made on Tuesday by Judge Smith, filed a motion for a continuance on the ground that the habeas corpus proceedings instituted in the federal courts in behalf of the defeudants are still pending. and serve as a bar to further proceedings in the state courts until a decision shall have tieen rendered by the federal supreme court. Judge Smith granted the motion and exceptions were entered by the defense and allowed. The present outlook is that the accused members of tlx* Western Federation of Miners cannot bo brought to trial before December next. Counsel for the defense renewed their motion to admit the defendants to ball, but this was denied, and the prisoners will remain In the Ada county jull at Boise.