Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-03-29
THE COAL MINERS.
Prospects for a Great Strike Up
the River.
The Operators Bound to Have a Reduction
of at Least Half Cent-No For
NAL Notice Given - To-
days Convention.
POSITION OF THE TWO PARTIES.

PITTSBURGH. March 2s.-The situation OF
affairs in the fresh breach between labor
and capital is, to say the least, an unprom-
Using one. This much was le-rned to-day
during brief tour among railroad opera
tives, and by call at the Office of the Min
change, Mr. McCrickart was found in
rather uucommunicative mood, and dis
posed to insist on system of writing down
questions and his answers thereto, before
granting information. THE (morningl
newspaper men have got my statement
mixed up with Joe Walton's, and | don't
-ezafes - tes into pf4ataHys smore.n ----.'
The gentleman finally gave some facts as
to the existing state of affairs.
"In the first place, it wasn't the railroad
Coal Exchange, as such, that took action IN
the matter of the reduction. 1t was more
comprehensive gathering, and included
railroad operators who were not members
of the Exchange. The meeting wasn't held
at the Exchange office, either. | do not
care to say where it was held
"Well, were the miners notified, as
stated?"
"No, they were not. And don't think
ii necessary. They know by this time
what we wan"
Has the Miners Association been noti-
fed of the action of the operators
mo, il has not The fact of the matter
is, we don't care what the association, or
the unions, or Jones may do about our
proposition. We simply can't stand four
cents, or 81 % per ton, when competing
districts can get all the coal dug they want
for 40 and Is cents. The thing is unfair
and cannot he tolerated from asimple busi'
ness point of view"
A Pan.H Handle operator, in answer to
questions, said simply: In place ola half
cent reduction. the circums' .nces now sur
rounding our trade are such tina. a reduc-
tiun Of one cent per bushcl would he per.
rectly iustitiable. The miners and Miners
Association seem blind to the fact that the
better the pay here, the poorer their
chances are for making money. To cX-
plain: Pittsburgh miners at cents can
make money where Hooking Valley dIggers
at 20 cents per ton can just live deCently.
The con. .eQuenCc is plain; the men crowd
our pits and we can't furnish the cars aS
fast as they are filled. turn aV..y scores OF
President Jones position in this matter,
don't blame him. He is bound TO do
something to earn his big ply, and these
strikes and troubles all give MIN the SEM
blanCe Of being most useful person to his
constituents
To learn something regarding the conven-
ton which j. called Tor tomorrow was the
next step. President Jones and SeCret.ry
Flannery were found at the office OF the
Association, on Fifth avenue, busy getting
things into shape. The convention will be
attended by delegate from each pit in this
district. both river and railroad or LIB in
all. The pits are located as follows;
River pits-First pool, 8 second pool, 10:
third pool, -; fourth pool, 25; ioughio-
ghcny, 3.
Railroad pits-pittsburgh, Virginia and
Charleston Railroad, s; Sawmill Run Rail-
road 6; Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad
9; Pan Handle, pittsburgh Cincinnati and
St Louis Railroad,) l6; CHARTERS Valley
Railroad, 5; Pennsylvania Railroad, s.;
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, l.. Total
l33 pits, employing about ! 900 miners.
As TO the possible outcome of to.mor-
row 5 convention, no information was OBJ
tainable from the office. Mr.. Jones was
evidently averse to talking, but replied
CourteOusly to one or two questions:
Neither the miners nor this Association
have been notified by the railroad opera
tors of the proposed reductions after the
first Of April, said he. IF this notifica-
tion had been given us, as Is certainly our
| due it would as certainly have been pro-
ductive of a better feeling. AS it is, the
operators seem to regard the Association
as beneath the dignity of recognition"
"Can not the Association retaliate by ig-
noring the proposition tomorrow"
r !, ~,
may do that very thing. The Convention
| has other business to attend TO besides this
question OF reduction, and was not called
wholly for the purpose OF considering this
matter"
Seated in the Office was an intelligent
looking English miner. who earns his
bread and butter in Gray & Bells works
| (Sawmill Rum. In answer to questions
this miner had something to say:
IL work in a good pit, that is, one that
supplies both the river aud the railroads
and large iron mills besides. ! can, by
working twelve and thirteen hours out Of
the twcnty.four, average $l.75 per day.
Out OF this must pay one dollar every
two weeks for oil for my lamp,
and fifty cents every two weeks
for pick sharpening And when / go to
the company store and get sugar, ! can get
TWO pOunOs lot quarter tlle Saile you
can buy on Fifth avenue for cents per
pound. On -four the advance is not so
much. say 10 cents a sack. On smaller ar
tiCles, such as mustard, pepper, matches,
DC, the advance over regular prices is much
greater. On the whole list OF necessaries Of
life it is % per cent. higher than in outside
stores. And ! know of company stores
where the advance is fully 40 per cent"
This informant added that sixty.six and
two-thirds bushels per day was all good
miner could dig under favorable Circum.