Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-09-11
River Coal Operators Notify
Their Miners That They
Will Pay but
THREE CENTS A BUSHEL.
Both Employers and Employees An
ticipate a General Strike.
THE WORKERS WE'LL ORGANIZED.
Union Mills Strikers Attending to Their
Qwn Affairs
NEWS OF TIE GREAT LABOR WORLD

The Executive Committee of the river
coal operators met at the Coal Exchange
Yesterday and decided to demand reduc-
tion of one-halt a cent per bushel in the
price OF coal mining. For more than a
year past the river operators have been
paying 80 cents per bushel. Hereafter
they say they will pay but 3 cents per
busheL
The proposed reduction affects about 5000
men. During the past summer only about
5000 men have been at work in the river
mines The others have been idle because
the operators contended that they could
not afford to run their mines at the price
for digging.
The river miners will refuse to accept
the proposed reduction, and they will on
Monday morning inaugurate general
strike. All of them have within few
months been organized into the United
Mine Workers Union. Their leaders say
they will be able to make strong fight,
and they contend their men are prepared to
stay out all winter unless the old price of
mining is guaranteed to them.
Every Mine in the Region Represented.
When the Executive Committee of the
operators met yesterday morning every
mine in the river region was represented as
being anxious to demand the reduction. As
o result a notice was written, printed and
posted demanding the reduction. The
notice explained the disadvantage at which
the river operators were placed in competi-
tion with the railroad operators The
notice further gave out the information
that unless the miners were willing to 90 to
work on Monday at the Scent rate the
mines would he closed down for an in
definite period
The coal works directly affected are those
Of the Lysle Coal Company, Joseph Walton
& Co., Horner & Roberts, John A. Wood
& Son, W. H. Brown Sons, s. S. Crump &
Co., S. Roberts s. Co, O'Niell s. Co., the
Crescent Coal Company, the Time Coal
Company and many other smaller concerns
All the companies have filled their entire
coal fleet and have, they claim, all the coal
now loaded that they will actually need for
several months. They also have supplied
themselves with an abundance of coal for
fuel, and claim they are now better pre-
pared for strike than ever before.
AGeneraI Strike Anticipated
Captain Harry Brown said yesterday
after the notices had been sent out 1--WE
have no doubt whatever that our miners in
the river district will strike, but we are
well provided for q general suspension of
business just now. We have demanded |
the one-half cent per bushel reduction SIM
ply because we cannot operate successfully |
unless the reduction is granted. The rail- |
road operators with the same coal requiring |
just the same effort and energy to
mine only pay 3 cents per bushel |
that we can pay the difference
because We can transport our product much |
cheaper than the railroad operators. That |
is not true, because we annually pay
nearly quarter of a million dollars for |
lockage, which the railroad operators do |
not have to pay. Another thing" Captain |
Harry Brown went on, 1--WE come into |
direct competition with the Kanawha coal |
In fact, our miners are in the same district |
with the hanawha miners, yet they now,
and have been paying only three cents per
bushel for mining.
Advantages of Ksnawha Operators.
'They are nearly 300 miles nearer the
market. They have no lockage to pay, vet
ve are compelled to compete with them and
at the same time we are asked to pay half
cent ner bushel more for our mining
The truth is we can't do it We won't
DO 1t any longer. We should have insisted
upon the reduction last March, but we had
contracts to fill then. Now we have no con-
tracts; we have plenty of coal ready to send
to market, and we do not care whether we
operate for several months"
John HARRISON, of Monongahela CITY,
one OF the recognized leaders of the river
miners who was at Captain Browns Office
yesterday, sald: Our men will strike, of
course. We have heard several times re-
Gently that a reduction was being consid-
cred, but the notice sent to Ms this morning
settles the matter We were surprised. of
course, but we are prepared tor a pro-
longe struggled.
Eight Thousand Men Organized,
1--WE have about 5000 members of our
1nion in the Monongahela district, and
every man will join in the strike when
work is concluded to-day. After few
weeks we believe the operators will give
n just as they have before"
"Will the general association of mine
workers help you?" was asked.
1--WE do not need help. Our men are
hriity, industrious fellows, and they are
determined to fight the proposed reduc-
ion offered -
One of the local operators said that while
he had no doubt the river miners would re-
use TO go to work on Monday, he be-
ieyed that they would all resume work
within month.
John Costello, President of the Pittsburg
ilstrlct of the United Mine Workers, said
yesterday that he had no connection with
ne river miners He was confident, how
'ver, that the river men would strike. He
leIlRNe0 fhnr IA =. L.