New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-04-05
TIE COIL MINERS STRIKE
NO DESFRTFRS IN EITHER sIDE


DIRECT CONTEST BETWEEN THE MINERS AND THEIR
EMPLOYERs-WIAT is NOW AT STAKE IN TIE
ANTHRACITE IEGIoN - THE DEFEAT OF TIE
MINERS FOREsHADOwED.
IRON STAFF CORRESPONDENT THE TRIBUNE.l
POTrsvILLE, Penn, April Stake an atlas
map oi~Penusylyania and lay your Gngcr across the
State from the extreme NORTHEASTERN corner to point
on the susquehanDa RIVER Just above Harrisburg, and
you will cover the entire anthracite coal region. Out
side OF this narrow belt of mountainous real
anthracite found in the United States The coal
urcs do not undere the whole tract roughly out
lined, but are found in long, loOpke beds varying
tcft and wede1ned boundaries. In some places
they cover mountain top, at Hazleton
at others they ara reached from the high
valleys OF the smaller streams-mere wrinkles in the
face of the mountain systemas at Mahanoy City; and
at others they crop out from the hillsies along the
deeper valleys Of the great rivers Pttston The
thracite ed sn current phraseology divided into three
grand divisions known as regions-hc schuylkl. the
LehiGh and the Wyoming. Included in the former s
not only Schuylk County, but the whole country
drained by the Phadelpl IA and Reading Railroad and
its branches, although the portion Of
this region lying in DAuphn County, and the northern
portion in Northumberland and Columbia Counties,
sometimes spoken Of as distinct regions. The central
mart OF the SchuylLll region is POtsve. Other points
OF considerable although subordinate Importance are
TamaQua ShamOkin, Ashland, and MahanOy City. The
Lehgh region is called from its outlet to market being
through the LchiCh Valley. 1t lies the southern part
OF Luzerne and the northern part of Carbon Counties
and its chief towns are Hazelton and Mauch Chunk.
The Wyoming region stretches along the valley Of the
Susquchanna above and below Wikesbarre and up the
Lackawanua as far as Car6ondae.
The strike among the miners Is general throughout
the SChuyk and Lohigh regions, but does not extend
10 the Wyoming region except 10 few cOlieres near
WiKesbarre operated by company controlled by the
New Jersey Central Railroad In all the regions the
movement for a reduction OF wages was simultaneous,
and grew concert Of action between the great
coal companies and the individual operators Different
systems Of wages prevail in the different regions. In
the northern region they have fixed scae-so mucha
car load FOR mining, and much per day for men who
do not work by contract; in the other two regions
sliding scale is employed, by which tho wages go up or
down, the price OF coal rises OF falls. In the Lehgh
region the price Underwater Is the basis the schuyl
Kill it the price Port Carbon, the head OF the main
stem OF the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad. The
Schuylk miner has lad a bottom figure" his wages
touching the lowest price, when coal was 81 so a tom
the Lehigh miner has had such limit The extreme
limit has however, never been reached in either sec
ton, wages having always been higher than the basis
price.
When retrenchmont determined upon in January
the operators in the Wyoming region proposed an even
reduction Of per cent all kinds of labor inside and
outside the nInes the accepted the terms and
kept at work. They belong 10 what IS called the
National Union, which has It's headquarters at Cleye
land, Ohio but does not exercise very strict authority
over members The LchIGh operators insisted on
reduction OF 10 per cent wages and Is cent on
work, which is work by the carload, ton or
cubic yard and limited the benefits OF tho sliding scale
to the working inside the mines In the SchuylEl
REGION the operators proposed like reduction OF 10 per
in wages and OF - per cent contract work, and
abolished tho bottom figure" 80 that there would
be no limit TO a decline well to U-
crease OF wages-the advance decline 10 be one per
for eyert three cents of advance or decline in e
price OF coal from the basis price Of 81 So In these two
regions the miners banded together III a
strong local OrsluizlilOn called the Miners and
me statement Of Its President 1t had
s75OcO III treasury the lst of January portion
OF the men felt disposed to try conclusions with Their
employers. believing themselves strong enough to WIN
better han none 1ue leaders couhSeled stflKe, ana
carried th-r pUnt. Once embarked III the movement,
the espihde coTS which prevails TO remaikaDe eA-
tent among coal miners brought IN al the 0UIect0rs
and the lock Ou extended far as the authority OF
the association was recognized.
- The usnai phenomenal oi coal STRIKE nave ensued
There have been passionate appeals to the pr jndices Of
reduction, msreprc sensations OF the purposes OF the
Employers. short everything calculated TO arouse "a
population the mines. ROtOus demonstrations pro-
ceSsiOns armed in the towns, threats against the
propcrv a. Mr mines and coffin notices served upon
sO-caied "back-cEs" have been the natural result,
uct that there are no genuine back-legs" in the
gon that is coeries aIe being run by men working
Association. Knowing the power oil tie Association,
the operators have made 10 attempt to induce
Dien to work at the rates The men assaulted or
warned have been engaged III picking out coal from the
piles OF slate al the hOuhS Oh the mines 10 run me
pumping engines, Vr III doing dead work." by which
term designated all work in the mine which does not
medIaely produce coal such as sinking alr-sh"its,
putting IN props, ana LAYING track O1e hundred dol
las q day would not biro men 10 80 into "a mine and
take out coal during the prevalence OF the strike
Wue the power OF the union thus excrted TO
nerfnTS was Drought to bear upon the small ones to
ii I'm Ia he
small colncries are working and paying last years
wages IN most cases IL Is under circumstances
sucn as the early expiration Of II leasc-whch IN the
opinion of other operators Justified the owners III Keep
ING al work Ii Is therefore a battle between the
and their employers with deserters either side.
The contest has continued for three months Dur
Ing the first two months however very lltse coal would
m ordinary years have been mlned the active Spring
shipments beginning until March. II coal famine
can be produced before starvation forces them ~ YIELD
the miners may win the battle but OF TINS there Is for
tunatey public al large small prospect 50 long
as the colliees the Wyoming region keep at work.
So cOudu nj were the operators of the sufcencY OF
stocks hand with The supply nom THAT region to meet
the demands, that they lowered the price IN March
instead OF increasing it, they might easily have done,
on the strength the strike The great transportation
companies wnich drain the antarctic IeSlon and are
at the time tine most extensive owners aud opera
OF cOeries IN it, are powerful enough TO carry out
their policy OF keeping prices uoW or Ione thih TO
cone-prODAbv until Faii-and they can prevent lnd-
their coal to market The struggle OF the men, there
tore, seems hopeless. They Will lose three OF four
months wages contract hdDts oi dlcness mat wliOe
hard 10 throw Of get heavily Ia debt al the stores Tor
PROVISIONS 10 live upon, aud hnaiy Will be Obliged
Ia accent the offered tuem In January.
When wages III other employment were acknowledging
prices commodities constantly going up, miners
Strikes were usually successful. They foolish and
useless now because the general shrukage III prices
mnst affect the miners, II already has almost all
classes of skilled unsked labOrers. Ii the
ablised 1871 faIr at that time IT follows that
reduction Is per cent is not unreasonable now.
lls is The OPERATORS argument and IL Is unuenlaOy
strong one.
Under The prop0sedscbedue a wages the lowest prices
mad Will from S. 10 81 per week 10 ordinary unskilled
aburers outside tue mines Inside Iab0reis Will get
from 90 tv SO minors working by the week $l2 co.
and miners working contract most OF them do,
Will earn SI2 s25 week, according 10 their
skill industry and luck III getting an easy breast 10
rr,k coal sells prices by the