The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-03-13

LONDON. March 12-The great coal
miners strike was inaugurated today, in
accordance with the plan Of the miners
organization, which, IN its manifesto is
sued a few days ago, declared that the hol-
iday the men proposed to take was for the
purpose of clearing the markets Of surplus
coal and for restricting the output, in order
TO prevent the masters from using low
prices as an excuse for lowering wages.
This afternoon the mem employed In the
mines in Lancashire, Cheshire ana York
shire stopped work. and the ponies were
removed from the pit. 1t was hoped until
today that some sort Of compromise would
be arrived at, but no agreement could be
reached, and the strange spectacle presents
itself of employees quitting work in the
masters interests: for it cannot be denied
that il any advantage be derived from
higher prices the mineowners, as compared
with the miners, will reap the greater por-
ion. Twenty Thousand miners in Noting
ham quit work at noon today. The coal
output in the Bristol district is nearly ex-
hausted The miners have ceased work,
and, as result, the price OF coal has gone
up 4 shillings. Many manufacturers re-
fuse to pay the price demanded and have
closed their factories. In this respect the
action of the miners is working greatly to
The harm of the operatives employed in
other industries.
strike wages during the period of idleness.
it will require very large sum of money
to pay the 100000 men who, 1t IS said, have
quit work. To recoup the drain the treas
ury OF the federation will be subjected to-
levy is TO be made upon the men as soon
as they return TO work. The weather to-
day was stormy and snow lies several
inches deep in the valleys about the col
1ieries
This afternoon delegates from the col
lieries in county Durham met in the town
of Durham, and finally decided that they
would submit to no reduction in wages.
The Durham and Northumberland miners
are not members of the miners fedora
tion, but have an organization of their
own-the National union.
The question at issue between the
masters and the miners Is a reduction of
wages. In some cases the owners proposal
of reduction was met by fiat refusal on
the part of the men. In others it was met
10y acounter-proposal to reduce temporarily
she number of weekly working days to
five. In Others, again. it was met by a
proposal TO stop work altogether for a GER
tain time. The second and third proposals
hre based Oh the principle that a reduction
of the output would, by causing a rise in
prices; obviate the necessity of a reduction
IN wages. The third proposal Is that
which the federation has adopted
LIE membership CI Jne 1eueratlO0 IS
enormous. 1t comprises about 2S0, 900
members, of whom 100000 are bottom
workers, the remaining $4,000 being en-
ployed on the surface or at the pit bank, as
it is called The federation delegates who
met some time ago at the Manchester con-
ference represented Ia. 900 working miners.
The conference TO be held on Wednesday
will take place in London. There is a
special and Immediate reason for selecting
London as the place of the next confer
ence, namely, the expected parliamentary
discussion on the eight-hour bill
Mr.. Parrott. a leader in the federation,
IN speaking OF the demand for an eight
hour day said: The choice lies between
a. parliamentary act and a recourse TO
strikes. We want to avoid the harsh and
costly plan of strikes. In agitating for
the elght-hours day, we are consulting the
owners interests, as we'll as our own.
Only An act can protect those owners who
are willing TO Try the eight-hours day
against their rivals, who are opposed to
Limitation, legislative or otherwise. An
other scheme of the federation is to rescue
women from the rough, demoraliZing and
nneconomlc labor at the pit mouth"