Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1891-04-21
LABOR TO STRUGGLE
In "a Effort TO Establish Q Uni
form Eight Hour Day.
WIDE TERRITORY 10 Be AFFECTED
Coal Mfa<Es 20 rhs sa1ssr Of sees0oe
kxsFArtas - kafoFes tina Dsasad
VIA ths ogsaias Of shs
Next MoaGa-

Ia history and marked by many features
which viii make il memorable.
Tho strike viii 90 for an eight
hour working day. Two hun
cred thousand coal miners and labor
work The strike will be aeked by
the American Federation Of Labor. tho
most powerful body of organized labor
In tho world, which now numbers
/. 0oo. 600 members AL these mem bers
have been assessed monthly since jan
uary for the strike fund which will
be used To aid the miners IN their strug-
gle.
The operators, as those who own coal
mines and coke ovens and market their
own products are termed TO distinguish
them from mere dealers. have formed .
close association They have met the
miners Ia conference at Pittsburgh and
failed 70 come 10 terms. Col. w. y. Rend,
OF this city, stood alone among the vast
assem- bly, OF operators as an advocate of
granting the eight hours a day The
strike VIII DC so extensive as 70 practi-
cally coyer the coal fields OF the coun-
try, and shortage. high prices. famine
In coal may be among the
early results Railroads and the
great manufacturing establishments
are already buying coal in enormous
quantities AMI having 10 delivered
10 them az once ia view of the threat
ened strike. The strike will cover the
great hard and soft coal fields of Penn
sylvaEia, the soft coal districts Of Ohio,
Indiana and Illinois, as well as the
smaller coal territories in other states.
But the states named are the great coal
producers There Is hard coal In Wy
orning, but IL Is undeveloped. AID
there Is considerable soft coal IN Iowa
There will be no strike in the great
coal fields of the south. In Tennessee,
Alabama and Georgia The mining is
done there by convict labor by tho
state. But all the output of the south
ern mines Is demanded by the south
ern market SO that it viii be impos-
sible for them TO come TO the aid OF
the northern and western mine-owners.
The miners arc organized as the
United Mine Workers of America
organization 10 a thorough one. The
prominent character in the struggle on
behalf Of the miners will be samuel
Gompers. president of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor. The storm
center will be Pittsburgh. Mr. Comp
ers is now completing trip through
all the coal districts encouraging the
men. creating enthusiasm among all
the federated trades over which he pre-
sides, selecting his leutenants. giving
out Instructions and making final prep
srations for the struggle
The date for this strike n as set over
Q year ago a. the Boston convention of
the American Federation of Labor. In
1ss5 this body. meeting at Cleveland,
decided 10 force the concession of an
eight-hour working day. and fixed on
May l. 1883. as the date for general
strike in all the trades where
the demand was refused. The
brunt OF the battle fell on Chica-
70, and the climax was reached In the
Haymarlet tragedy, the result of an
archistio interference with trades
unions- Some trades secured eight
hours on that memorable day. but the
ilnpracticable. At the next general
convention, In ISIS. resolution
fixing May 1, 1890. ~ date
for general strike was de-
feated. After four days Of dis
cussion another plan Of campaign was
adopted IL was decided. instead of a
general strike every three or four years,
% have one trade strike each year. May
!, and thro the entire strength OF the
federation to its support. The best or
ganized trade union was TO be given
the honor of making the contest.
Tho carpenters were selected as
the trade on which the first fight
should DO made. and May /. 1890.
set rs the date for the strike for eight
hours. A series of eighthour meetings
was held Public sentiment was
aroused The carpenters struck. The
financial and moral aid OF the fedora
ton was given them and they won. OF
the $50 cities in which they struck
they won their demands in 500.
IN some cities. besides shorter
hours larger wages were also secured.
MILWAUKEE. April 2o.--Such a CON-
rlete stagnation of building operations
In the spring Of the year was never be-
fore known in The history of this city.
Theirs is absolutely nothing being done.
Never before has n strike OF the magni-
tude OF the one now in prog
ress here been conducted so
quietly. There are no signs now
that the deadlock between The mid
dleInen. contractors and the actual
laborers viii Be broken in hurry. All
building operations have ceased ex-
cepting in small Jobs where carpenters
alone ara required The stone-rnssons
chose an opportune time for their strike
and hive efectuslly shut ont the car
pentsrs By refusing 20 do the prelim-
mary work necessary 20 the engage
meut Of the wood-workerS A mum
her q large buildings were well
under way 50 far as plans 20, but the
strike has sfTectually snufred them out
Some ~ the men who have large
projects On hand have evinced an IN
essiness thas is favorable % the men.
Thev have notified the contractors that
An case they cannot carry eus their con
tracts they VIII deal directly with the
ra~n and RESUME operations The pres
eus strike = n strong Indication Of thu
strength attained BY the labor or~sni-
cations. Eforts ~ secure raen from
ether cit4es have beer fails-~s
Fatal f-snstare Espiersep-
NosRTsrowy. Pa, April so-whils
-ror,s--,sn svpre engaged IN renewing an