Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-05
ALMOST A VICTORY.
President Conway Believes the Min
ers Will Get Their Demands.
OVER 2,2OO DIGGERs ARE AT WORK.
The Trades Council to Ascertain Who Re-
ported Those Blowers.
NO TROUBLE AT DUQUEsNE YESTERDAY

| The strike of the railroad coal miners in
Western Pennsylvania is practically won,
President Conway says. There are 1900
men at work at the advance and 1000 are
now idle. None are working at the reduced
rates except those at the Nickel Plate mines
at Mcdonald station, on the Panhandle
road, 250 in number.
President Conway, whose headquarters
are in this city at present, last night re-
ceived telegr ram from the men to the effect
that they would be on strike tomorrow,
and asking him to explain the situation to
the men at meeting to be held there on
Monday evening.
An important letter was written yester-
day by John Flannery, the leader of the K.
of L. miners, and given to President Con-
way to be presented to the miners at Inn
perial The letter shows that the K. of L.
leaders agree with the N. P. U. that the
74-cent rate can be paid, and that de-
terminedHstand should be made for it.
This is
SUFFICIENT TO SHOW
rival miners organization on prices. The
letter is as follows:
To the Miners of Imperial, Pa:
GENTLEMEN-Ata convention of delegates
of railroad miners, held in this city on April 80.
a resolution was adopted to demand Accent
per ton rate for the year beginning May inst.
The vote on that resolution was 80 for and
against. In many parts of this trailroad) dis
trict the K. of L. and N. P. U. miners have
united with their fellow craftsmen to enforce
this SCALE 1 do not know for a certainty what
the prospect for success is, but am positive
that if the men who are on a strike win, it will
be by the men who are working at the reduced
rate demanding and standing for the "a cents
with them. Respectfully,
JOHN FLANNERY.
Mr.. Conway will take this letter and read
it at meeting of the miners at Imperial to-
morrow evening, and will then explain the
situation to them. In conversation on the
subject last night, Mr. Conway said that
evidently one OF the delegates to the recent
convention from that section misrepresented
the matter, but that everything will be
Strengthened out at the meeting tomorrow.
HE Is WELL PLEASED.
Mr.. Conway says that he is very well
pleased with the situation, and believes that
all the mines will be at work at the 74-cent
rate IN few DAYS.
In speaking Of the rates being offered by
the operators, 71% cents per ton for the
summer months and 7615 for the winter, he
said that straight "a cent rate for the year
was better, as four-flths of the coal mined
in year is mined in the summer months.
W. L. Scott, who refused last year to pay
the 79 cent rate, is one of the operators now
paying the price demanded. Vice Presi-
dent Davis, of the National Progressive
Union, said last night: "Scott is paying
the price here, but refuses to pay it at his
mines in Northern Illinois, where he has
offered 10 cents ton reduction in the price
for mining. 1t looks as though he is trying
to use his men here to club those employed
at his Northern Illinois mines. believe
the strike in Western Pennsylvania will be
won by the miners in very short time"
ONE LOCAL FIRMS OUTLOOK.
The following telegram on the mining
situation was received last night:
The miners at the Duquesne Coal Works at
Muckelrat held meeting to-day and declded
to demand the district price. Three hundred
men and boys are out During the last three
the miners at these works have
under the district price. Notwithstanding the
concession, which was made on the part of the
miners to allow the mines to be operated stead
ier, they did not secure work more than one
third time.
Mr.. ]. B. Corey, who operates these works, in
speaking of the strike to-day, said: 1.-THE
miners are striking against further reduction
in their wages. 1t might almost be said they
are striking for the right to live, or for living
wages. The prlce of mining with the amount
of work to be done does not afford the miners
a decent living, and they think strike will
help them. Our mines are not as favorably To-
Gated as many others. and the coal is so far to
haul, entailing extra cost, that we were obliged
to keep our miners working below the district
price. The demand for coal is so poor and the
competition so great that we havenot been able |
to give our men more than would afford them |
a decent living. Another thing, we cannot |
pays about 90 per cent of what he agrees to. II |
"a cents is the district price, about 40 cents is
what the miner gets The operator who has q |
pluck-me store is running two businesses, and |
If the miner got cents a bushel it would not |
afford them a decent livinOD