Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-04-14
CLEARFIELD'S BIG CLASH.
THE OPERATORS ISSUE A CIR
CULAR TO THE STRIKERS.

Competition shown by Statistical FL
CURES to Make an Advance in Wages
/ Impossible-The Majority OF the Men
Originally Opposed to the Strike
Railroads Claiming Victory at Sc
/ data.
PHILADELPHIA, PA, April 13.-The
operators OF the Clearded bitumlnous
coal region to-day issued the following
circular to the miners and other employees,
all Of whom are on strike: believing
that you have been misinformed and mis-
led by outside parties as to the real con-
ditlon OF affairs in competing steam coal
producing districts, we take this method
OF giving you the facts. The POcahontas
and Chesapeake and Ohio districts OF Vir-
ginia produce steam coal Of good quality,
and, as these properties are operated in
the interest Of the railroad companies,
their development has been rapid, and
the tonnage Increasing constantly and
the Goals sold at very low prices. These
Goals are shipped at Newport News and
Norfolk, and from there reach every sea.
board city in direct competition with our
own productions.
THE OUTPUT.
"During the first three months Of the
present year the OUTPUT from the Poca-
nontas and Chesapeake and Ohio regions
has been 4l1,2O5 tons, as against 32S,267
tons for the same period of last year,
showing an increase since the first of the
year OF SS,93S tons, the greater portion Of
said Increase having been made since the
suspension Of work in the Cleartield re-
giOn. The miners and employees there
have been at work regularly and without
lntermlsslon at the old wages, which has
enabled the Pocahontas and New river
shippers to take many large contracts
for this years delivery at even
less than last seasons prices. which were
formerly supplied from the Clearheld re-
giCn. We have also to meet the cOmpe-
tition OF small sizes of anthracite Goals,
which are being sold at extremely low
prices, and have been largely substituted
for your Goals, and every effort will be
made by the anthracite companies to con-
tinue it.
STUBBORN FACTS.
"These facts, which need no proof,
should convince you of the impossiblitY
OF increasing wages in the Clearfeld re-
glOn at this time. 1t is a self-evident fact
that unless your Goals can be placed in
competing markets at as low prices as
| those from other regions, sales, of course,
cannot be made. We are always ready
and willing to pay the highest wages that
| the selling price OF coal will permit, and
to rectify any just grievances brought to
| our notice by our own employees.
ADVANCES ELSEWHERE.
| THAT a few operators have agreed TO
! pay an advance in wages to their men
| has no bearing on the question. They
! paid it, not to benefit their employees, but
| to enable them to speculate for their
/ profit while you were idle.
| This notice is signed by twenty-five
! operators who represent nine-tenths OF
the production of the Cleartield region.
! The strike has been in progress a
| month to-day and tins is the
first commune alton that the producers
| have had with the men. 1t is matter of
/ interest that in thelHoutydale district the
| men voted seven to one against the strike,
while in the whole region over twO-thirds
of the men were opposed to the strike
but IN the face of this opposition the Elk.
| ecutive Board OF the Federation of Mine
| LabOrers, only one member of which was
a resident of Clearfeld county, ordered
! the strike.