Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-13
A GENERAL STRIKE
Quite Likely to Grow Out Of the Diff
Guilty at the Valley Works.
SPICY LETTERS MADE PUBLIC.
Farmer and His Wife Probably Fatally
Injured in Butler County,
RELIEF FOR AKRON STORM SUFFERERS
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH!

rspFcIAr TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPAroH.I
SCoTTDALE, MAY 12-Affairs are getting
more complicated IN the coke regions and a
strike of all the plants seems almost as IN
evitable as a strike at Fricks works II the
valley trouble is not adjusted. LABOR
leaders think it is blow to disrupt their
organization. If the Valley plant dlthculty
is not settled by tomorrow morning con-
vention of all the locals will be held mere
Thursday, and the situation VIII De discussed
with view of ordering general strike Presl-
dent John r, Rae and Secretary Watchorn will
arrive here tomorrow and counsel the officers
and Knights ofLabor for the impending strike.
To-day a letter was received at labor head
Quarters addressed TO Master Workman Ker-
foot and Secretary Parker. from Manager
Thomas Lynch. Mr.. Lynch refers to the notice
dated May S. which states that in six days
work Will cease at the several mines because OF
violation of the scale at the Valley mines:
''without proper investigation of trouble and
grievance at said plant"
INDEFINITE CHARGES ALLEGED.
He SAYS: You do not say who violated the
scale, but inasmuch as you threaten to close
our works assume that you charge us with yio-
lating the scale, charge however, that cannot
be sustained. Icannot imagine what you mean
when you say: Without proper investigation
of trouble or grievance The Valley Works
was not closed down on account OF any trouble
or grievance on the part of the men or on
account of failure to investigate any OF their
troubles or grievances properly or other
wise" He points out Irregularities in the
notices. and SAYS there is no grievance to re-
dress or trouble or difficulty to adjust at any
OF the plants and declares that the Valley
works and all other works have lived up to the
agreement to the fullest extent and that a
strike would be violation of the agreement.
In reply the labor officials addressed letter
TO Mr. Lynch. stating that they ind that while
they are in receipt of no such letter, the
pany are literally flooded with |
so-called copies. They declare that, by
calling attention TO the Irregularities in the |
form of notice. and by making mountains out |
of mole hills he attempts to hold them up in |
false and ridiculous light before the general |
public. This, they say, may prove boomerang |
to him. They then give copy OF the notice |
closing the Valley works which says that the |
miners have not been filling the wagons ac- |
cording to agreement and that notices of the
been disregarded, and that unless the miners
showed disposition to live up to the agree
ment the works would close.
AFFIDAvITS ALL READY
In regard to this the labor officials say: 1--WE
have in our possession the afidavits of 81 miners
working at the Valley when the agreement was
entered into, and continued working there until .
the works was smut down, the aforesaid athda-
Wits setting forth that they had put as much
coal on the wagons since the agreement was
made as they did when the agreement was
signed.
Sir, you lone mani assert that they have not
lived up to the agreement; they (S7 men) swear
they have lived up to the agreement. You
question our honesty of purpose in the matter
and in an indirect manner charge that we have
preconcerted arrangement by which we hope
to get rid of those parts of the agreement
that are obnoxious to us. In all sincerity and
honesty we mean 10 live up to the agreement to
the letter. We feel satisfied in our own minds
that the workmen have abided by the agree
ment, anything you say to the contrary not
w1thstandlng."