The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-08-23

events the previous year. Iu6 great bHCfehse III
raiiroad faciii,ies Hooded the market with coal last
year and prices continued low ali through the sum
mer; bu, IN November At the monthly auction sales
OF coal managed Dy the Scranton Company to q con-
siderable extent. coal suddenly went up two dollars
per ton. How thai unexpected rise was brought
about remains TO- be planned TO the pubic, hut the
fact was telegraphed at the time all the country
and the report gaining circulation that coal would
sooner or later iai again purchasers ceased buying
however Immediately. and consumers waiting until
spring when prices were somewhat lower, suddenly
OF 100000 tons which should have been left
on hand at the opening OF the season. Thus 1t will
ply less than 1t had been at the period The
previous year, aud the market IN condition TO feel
at once the effect OF any strike. THIS was under
them 20 assume their present attitude Fluctua.
tons OF this Kind In the supply OF coal had occurred
before, and some Of the principal companies, IN.
GLIDING the Delaware, Lackawanna and western
Company Delaware and Hudson Company, Penn
sylvanla Company. WtlKesbarre Coal and Iron Com
Company. Schuylkill Canal Company and Lehigh
Valley Railroad Company, taking warning from the
s winter 70 arrange system saopS should
maintain Il steady and healthy market with reason
able rates to consumers. In March OF this year
q week, In the once OF the Wiikesbarre
Company, AT which an arrangement was partially
agreed to by which each company should restricted
to certain amount OF transportation over the several
roads, SO as to give all the companies an equal
chance 20 bring their coal into market; but at the
more extended privileges than had been agreed
upon, and the whole matter came to an unsatistac
all The fiuctuating influences of monopolized trans
portatiOn and unsteady purchasers. With the CON-
panies thus divided, and the public ignorant Of The
real condition OF the coal supply on hand the market
was now In position to feel the effects OF strike ct
once and when the season fairly opened the miners
put In operation the plans which they had been long
maturing
THE STRIKES
previous to that OF May last had all been managed
fact that The men participating In them had been
principally Irish, whose impetuous natures were not
calculated to hold out with the perseverance OF the
more steady Welsh and English miners, and also be-
cause OF the lack Of complete organization and expe
the lessons Impaired In the success OF the strikes OF
last year on the eight hour question, held regular
meetings aud organized themselves into society
called the WOrkngmen'S Union Benevolent Associa-
tiOn which nearly all the miners Of the three great
districts Joined, and which had for its object con-
They saw that the supply OF coal in market was less
than what It should have been, and that II oil the
mines were to suspend operations the result would
be a panic In the market, and that under the pres
sure OF demand and the encouragement Of high
prices the companies would yield to their clams The
the Schuyikiil district was not far behind; but the
wyoming district held OF to certain ex-
tent, the employes OF some OF the mines
miners did not make Gny definite proposition to the
companies, but contented themselves with inairect
inquiries as to the disposition of the companies to
increase their wages, and adopting resolutions In
Of sliding scale Of prices based on the price
OF coal at the point OF delivery ut New YORK. Ascer-
tanning by their indirect inquiries that the COM
panies would not accede to their demands for an in
of wages the sliding scale basis the miners
on the sth OF May, which determination was carried
out and work at all the mines, with the exception
Of the mine OF the Pennsylvania Company IN the
Wyoming district and a few Others, suspended on
that date. In order to give clearer statement OF
the progress and effect OF the strike 1t s best to take
each of the three great coal districts IN detail.
THE SCuUYLKIiL DISTRICT
was the first to effect an arrangement with the
miners and resume operations. me product OF TINS
employed In producing this supply ceased work on
the STU OF May ana continued Idle about six weeks,
ceeded In forcing the companies to increase their
wages, In some instances according to the sliding
scale based on prices at the point OF delivery TO the
at regular rate OF increase on monthly wages. All
the mines in this district have been at work since
men an increase OF twenty per cent on their wages
for every dollar increase III the price OF coal at
per- psf' tom .' few 'c Companies have Greeted
compromise and instead OF adopting the
sliding scale or basis as It Is termed pay the men
cents per ton increase for June hfeen for July
and thirty for August and thereafter; but the
OF some Of these mines have manifested dissats-
STRIKE have forced additional increase Of ten cents.
that they are now receiving forty-fye cents per
19n e o e mines ia tbs
al trlct q large number OF miners from the Lehgh
and wyoming distrlcts,.th product Of coal OF the
district has been very much Increased over that or
last year during the same period 80 that notwith-
standing the interval Of idleness from May to June
Is II is estimated by the companies that they VIII
produce during the year about as much coal as was
mined by their regular force last year, as there was
then strike of two months. The principal CON-
panes of tins region in New York are Haas Brenger
x snyder; L. Audenreid Co.. Taylor, Bas5 Co.;
G. - Repller Il Co.; Locust Dale Company; Mcneil
Coal and Iron Company: Audenreid, Norton Co.,
and Caldwell, Gordon K Co. Each OF these compa-
MES owns two or more mines, aud have oil been
forced by their to accede 20 the demands OF the
Miners Union. they are apprehensive OF o renewal
OF dificuites IN September from further demands on
the part Of the miners, anu are anxionsiy awaiting
tie settlement OF the dcultes Still existing IN the
other two districts. Should the LehIgh and wyoming
men resume work, however, the Schuylkill miners
will not give any further trouble.
Tux LEiII1H DISTRICT,
which furnished last year 1890, sls tons, stopped
work entirely on the sth Of May, and demanded an
lars at MoboSen aud Ehzabetnport. Nothing was
The eSs bstrcs Board OF TRADE adoptsd the fol-
lowing resolution
Resolved offer he made to the miners and aborers
Ing sas T. be srsaaied by the furnace price Of coal at
Mash asaa Taxing he price n APr x y per s ton
the bss. OF wages At each Advance Of twenty
my cents GA the wagon yard price, fifty psr
week the labor price TO DO made and corresponding re-
This proposition was rejected by the men, and
soon Afterwards tue companies made the following
ofer:-
Allow The basis Of proe 10 DO s5 80 At Ezabehpor and
this basa the work mt tyve cents ton
the ton TO be fifty cubic foo When the price Of coni ad
above the basis rate the miners and asoro are 70
participate in the the following every
dollar advance twelve and onehalf cents the ton FOR
mining and all yardage labor let the work
terms similar to those given BY the Wkssbarre Coal and Iron
Company.
The latter terms are twenty per cent increase on
wages for every dollar rise in price OF coal above
five dollars ct Hoboken This proposition was &C
cepted by the Lehigh men, and about the 4th Of
July they resumed work. Soon afterwards the
Reading Railroad increased It's tolls thirty cents per
ton, which naturally advanced coal proportionatey
at Hoboken; but when the companies sought te
exempt this Increase caused by advanced freights
the men Threatened to stop WORK again. A com
promise was effected, and the men continued theil
work. but the railroad company again increasing its
tolls, finally running thcm up to 81 80 per ton from
Mauch Chunk moro than they were In April, the
companies on the 18th inst. notified the
men that they must change the prices, and
made the following proposirion;-Takng So so, the
March Chunk price In April as the basis, the meu
should receive An advance or decrease OF ten per
cent for April on their wages for every dollar ad
vance decrease from the basis, anu twelve ana a
half per cent the basis for the time after April To
emDlOypS exCeDt euQ1ncera. mechanics others