Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-06-14
CAUSE OF THE STRIKE
COAL-MINERS SAY IT is STARvA-
TON WAGES.
The Desire OF the United Mine-Workers
of America to Enforce General Instead
OF Local or District Settlements Precipi-
tated the Trouble.
A Momentou. Contest.

A Momentous Contest.
The great.bituminou coal strike ha:
reached the eighth week Of its exist
ence. 1t is the most momentous con
test ever fought in this country be
tween the forces OF labor and capital
Fully 10000 miners are ailecte d, ant
these are scattered over the States O
Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Vir
GINA, Ohio. Indiana, Tennessee, Ken
lucky, Alabama, Illinois, Iowa, Mis-
souri,, Kansas. Colorado, Arkansas, anC
Indian Territory and New Mexico
The strike has now reached the stage
where vast business interests are Grip
pied. The service of many railroads Ii
paralyzed, the wheels of many mill:
are motionless; ships tug idly at their
anchors, unable for want of coal tc
continue their voyages, and in cme
cities the supply of water AMI electric
light is shut of. In Colorado, Illinois
Indiana, Alabama and Pennsylvania
bloodshed has been rife and violence
still impends: the militia OF five States
are in service, and in others are held
in readiness to suppress riot and pro
tect life; fatalities, unfortunately, have
been numerous, especially in the coke
regions of Pennsylvania, and only 6
pretext is awaited in other States tC
precipitate more violence and bio d.
shed.
Among the miners and tho;e deIend
emit on them there is much suffering
thousands being on the verge of star
vation. Especially is this so in Ala
bama where the workers were in no fiji
condition to strike and where sour
houses at the present time are a neces
sity.
Miserable Condition OF the Miners.
The cause OF the strike which has
resulted in such widespread stagnatior
of business is twofold. The tirst, OF
course, Is the low wages paid in the bi
luminous coal fields. No other class Of
workers than the bituminous coal min,
er5 have been so harshly treated, sc
cruelty imposed upon, SO wronged, sc
miserable. AS rule the cost of min.
ing bituminous coal is FRI m 81 to Ct
cents ton, of which the miner re-
ceived from 40 to 10 cents
Out OF this miserable sum he
must pay helper and he il
"docked' for slate and dust, the
latter being deducted IRON the weight
His loss of wage on the latter account
depends on the honesty of his employ.
err. or rather OF his employers super
intendent. At the ordinary mine great
injustice and wrong are complained ol
on this account. The miner also usu
ally rents his cottage, or hut from the
mine-owner, usually corporation, and
the rent is often exorbitant. The com
pany also sharpenS his tools for him al
a generous price and sells him his
food clothes and blasting powder
charging on the average % per cent
more than the prices charged at the
neighborhood stores kept by private
persons. In this way the company FIRE
quently receives back or holds back or
the store and rent accounts of its mer
nearly all the wages that have beer
earned during the month.
Starvation Wages.
The average daily earning of miner
is less than so cents, and to add to his
burdens and the hardships Of his lot
his employment is Irregular. Scant a:
the miners wage has been, serious re
auctions have been made since the enc
of last summer. First there was GU
of 5 cents a ton, and then in some
mines of 10 cents. What this means
may be judged from the fact that in the
Pocahontas region of West Virgins
the men were receiving only 81 cents {
ton in 1890. Assuming that the aver
age pay was 40 cents ton, the last GU
brought it down to 35 cents. Thi.
means earnings of about 20 cents
day, which, with irregular employ
ment, "dockage," and the inordinatt
prices charged by the company stores
brought the miners wages to the star
walton point.
While this cut in wages was in effec
In Pennsylvania, West Virginia, gen
trail and southern illinois and parts o
Kentucky and Tennessee reductions IL
other fields were threatened so as Il
make wages correspond.
Another Cause OF the Strike.
The second cause Of the strike wa
the desire OF the United Mime Workers
of America to enfore general instead
OF local or district settlements. A
general settlement would mean pro
lection TO the miners, to the opera
tors and the public during the time
covered by the settlement. Local OF
district settlements were a source o.
considerable annoyance and less to both
operators and miners, for, while some
operators and miners were bound by
agreement, others were not so bound
and thus guerrilla warfare was
waged on the trade. This Is well IL
Illustrated in the operations OF the las
few years. In 1886, under the old ar
range ment, Western Pennsylvania
Obi !, Indiana, part OF West Virgins
and Northern Illinois were recognized
as conn etition district. and this felc
was covered by a settlement at the
time. The next year the Northern
Illinois operators withdrew from
the interstate convention, assigning al
q reason tor their action their ina
bility to pay the price agreed upon by
the operators and miners jointly In the
Interstate conference, because of the
low prices prevailing in Central and
Southern Illinois, which we're not. q
part OF the convention and were not
bound in its agreements. In 1889 the
Indiana operators withdrew from the
Interstate movement, assigning as 9
reason their inability TO maintain
prices because Of the low prices pre-
vailing In Illinois. That practically
endod tho iufarqf atA mr. I'm m Oemanf Ir