Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-01
MINERS WILL STRIKE.
They Must Have a IA Cent Rate for
Digging Coal or Nothing.
OYER 5000 GOLFERS WILL QUIT.
Some Trouble Expected in the Building
Trades Line To-Day.
A STATEMENT FROM Mr. S. 5. MARVIN

A strike of miners Of Western Pennsyl-
vania will be inaugurated to-day, and
almost 5000 men in the railroad district
will be idle pending a settlement of the
wage question. At the last and rather
peculiar conference between the operators
and miners, it was decided to accept their
terms for the year, which was 711z cents for
mining from May to November I, and
761f cents from November to May l.
This was what President Mcbride, of the
National Progressive, Union advised, but
the members of his organization refused to
accept it. The knights of Labor who were
present at the meeting agreed to work at
those terms, but protested against it. The
National Progressive Union, it will be re-
membered, refused to have anything to do
with the scale, and President Conway, of
subdivision 4 comprising the Western
Pennsylvania coal fields, called conven-
tion of miners irrespective Of organizations
to discuss the matter.
This convention was held yesterday after
noon at Ruppel's Hall, on Smithfeld street.
President Conway was in the chair and
Alvin @. Patterson was secretary. There
were 80 delegates present, the majority of
whom were N. P. U. men, but some were
X. of L. and snpss ttSf gs1iEed men.
- THE SUMMER SCALE
The question of the price for mining from
I May was discussed at length. One of the
prominent speakers was Vice President
Davis, who is President McBride's right
bower. He took an entirely different stand
r. IL L. 41,4
they could secure 74-cent rate for the year
if they took stand for it. He spoke for an
hour and made very favorable impression.
After the matter was discussed at length 1t
was decided to demand "a cents per ton for
mining in the railroad pits of Western
Pennsylvania for the year beginning to-day.
the rate advised by President Nc
Bride. A vote on the question was
taken, and resulted in 80 for and against
the proposition. This means a strike, as
the operators have already agreed to pay
only 71H cents per ton for the summer
months. A committee, composed of James
Cole, John Mcclure, William Collins and
John d. Conway. was appointed to wait on
the operators to-day, and induce them, if
possible, to pay the scale decided upon.
A VERY GREAT CONTRAST.
This committee represents. President Con-
way says, about 5000 miners in Western
Pennsylvania, while the committee that
fixed the scale week or two ago were
Knights of Labor and only represented, $50
miners. He claims that the Knights of La
Dor have not more than 500 members on the
railroad district of Western Pennsylvania.
1t was said that ex-Congressman w. L.
Scott would likely pay the price, as he has
some contracts to fill. 1t was also stated
that an attempt is being made at his mines
in Illinois to pull the mems wages down
12x per cent. This has caused strike, and
If the contracts can be filed here Mr.. Scott
will not suffer- He is trying, it is stated, to
work strike here and compel the men in
Illinois to accept the reduction.
Archy Gordon, one of the leading mem
bers of the N. P. q. from Crenshaw, Jeffer-
son county, was delegate to the conven-
ton. In conversation with DISPATCH
reporter Mr. Gordon denied the statements
made by John Costello and published in
this paper on Sunday. He says the Ten
nessee miners are not all native born. He
SAYS that in Sparta, White county, there are
not one in ten native born Tennesseeans. He
has been to several places in the State and
says the majority Of the miners are Scotch
men.