The New York herald., 1874-07-31
THE COAL INTER EST.
COIlieries Suspended and Golfers Ont Of
Employment - Causes OF the General
Depression - Another Great Strike
Threatened.
PLYMOUTH. Pa. Ju,v 90. 1874.

Threa tened.
PLYMOUTH. Pa, July go 1874.
The great coal interest of the Northern coal
fields has never been so depressed as at present.
the larger portion OF the coerles In this imme-
diate district is either entirely suspended or
running on reduced time, and hundreds OF indus
trious deserving miners are in consequence SAT-
fering Tor the bare necessaries OF life. Further
up In the region. at Scranton, Carbondale and ad-
joining towns the picture Of suffering is equally as
bad, II not worse. The condition OF things is far
more distressing than during the memorable
.long strike" of 1901. 1t is estimated that be-
tween l2 900 and 15 900 golfers are now out of en-
poyment, and manv Others soon will be, as several
heavy operating companies are preparing to sus
pend operations The quantity OF anthracite beng
shipped from this region Is greatly below that
usually transported at this season OF the year.
Whlie the miners assert that the combnated pro-
ducers are blamable for the existing state Of
affairs, by forcing down production that the
immense supply of coal at the various depots can
be neld
FOR SPECULATIVE PURPOSES,
which is, no doubt, true to some extent as an
advance on the wholesale prices for August is an
nounced, the figures ranging from fifteen to
twenty cents on a ton, the operators state that
the cause OF the reduction OF production Is that
there is no market Ior coal, and no PROBABILITY Of
any profitable transactions before september or
October. As every brancn Of industry depends, to
larger or smaller degree, upon The coal
trade for its support, the depression in
mining causes general staRnat0n. Merchants
complain that bankruptcy stares them in the lace
and pray for more prosperous times Tne miners
having become tired Of what they term the exac
tlons OF the mOnopOlsts are restless, and some Of
the more unreasonable spirits are urging a STRIKE
LARGE MEETINGS ARE BEING HELD
under the auspices OF the Miners National Union,
OF which James OBalloran Is the President, in
Luzerne county, and an organization is being rap
idly effected. The laborers are also very much op-
posed to the company store" system, and there
Is very strong movement now on the taps to
demolisn the nuisance which Affects so seri-
ously the interests OF miners and busi-
ness men, The men employed at the Sa.
lem colery, ShicKshinny, are on strike
against effort OF the operatives to destroy their
branch OF the Miners National Unlon and not for
an increase OF wages, as has been reported. The
men receive 50 95 per week from the union during
the continuance OF the strike The GOLFERS OF Car
bon Hill and Mount Pleasant, Ashley, this town
and other places are enrolling themselves under
the banner OF the National Union, and the prospect
OF another struggle between labor and monopolsts
is not bad. SnouId q ''stand outr occur soon 1t
will he determined one, as 1t is understood that
the
TREASURY OF THE UNION
is well supplied with funds, and the miners can lie
supported or long time, or until the accumulated
coal will be reduced that the operating compa-
MES wiz allow all the rules and regulations OF the
association 10 be carried out in the region SO that
mining may be resumed.