The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-08-02
TINE MINER.

STRIKE.-The laborers ut the old Potts
colliery, at Locust Dale, Pa, worked by
the p. a. r. Coal and Iron Co., struck for
shorter hours, ON Monday, July 2lst. The
complaint is, we understand that they are
compelled to enter the slope at 9 o'clock
A. Nj. and remain there till p. NJ
THE COAL MINERS AT PITTSBURGH
Last winter the Legislature Of this State
passed a law known to coal miners and OPP
orators as the screen Bill" That bill
made rs pounds Of coal bushel after it
had passed over the screen Of certain size,
and also gave the nut coal, which passed
through the screen, to the miners. Many
of the operators SO far have refused to be
governed by that law and insist that the
miners should mine from 80 to one hun
dred pounds for bushel, after it was
screened, and the miners to relinquish the
nut coal that passed through the screen
The miners called convention which met
in Pittsburgh last week for the purpose Of
taking the situation under consideration.
At that convention ffty-eight pits we're
represented by eighty delegates, and notes
compared, when it was found that different
pits were paying different prices, for min
ing, but one OF two Of them respecting the
new law Some pits were working and
others had closed To get the sense Of the
convention q resolution was offered and
adopted that the miners will do no work
under the scale Of prices Just adopted until
such time as the Operators meet the miners
Arbitration Committee. AS the operators
weuld make by raising a strike Just now,
and as the miners appear to be firm in
their demand, we may expect long and
devasta ting strike in the Pittsburgh coal
district II is not for us to say who will
be to blame in this matter, but we are as
sured if the operators would live up to the
law there would be no excuse for q strike
at this time.
Vim. L. Owens, deputy inspector Of
mines for st. Clair County, ILL.,, in letter
10 the Belleville Democrat, after quoting
from the law which requires the sinking
Of an escapement shaft, says;
Under this section, on the 2lst inst, the
case Of the People vs.. John Smith and PeteI
Wonderly, coal operators, was tried before
| Judge SNYDER and it was proved that Smith
L Wonderly had operated their mines one
| year. and that their shaft was not one hun
dIed feet deep, and that during the year 1872
and up to July 1873, they employed from
twenty (20) to thirty SOl men, and had ne
escapement shaft but III order to evade the
law they undertook to reduce the number o
employees to less number than fifteen Tn,
question arose, could they lawfully do that
The Judge in rendering his decision, main
tanned that the law was passed for the protec
ton of the life and health of men employed il
the mines and in order not to cripple ant
ruinsmall mines employing less than tifteeI
men the law relieved them from stalking es
capement shafts but whenever they under
took to employ over fifteen men they wer
classified with those who had to make escape
mtnt shafts That no operator was allowe'
TO employ twelve men one day and thirty an
other in order to evade the law. Under thi
decision an injunction was granted agains
the said smith 4 Wonderly and We hop
that hereafter all operators will comply wit
the law, as neither myself nor Mr.. Hilgar
desire to bring this matter before the courts
but if it has come, We deem it our duty t
enforce it without partiahty.
There are twelve Lodges in District No
?, Of Indiana