The San Francisco call., 1897-07-16
His Influence Is Asked
in the Great Coal
Strike.
Commissioners Trying Hard to
Promote the Uniform
Schedule.
West Virginia Operators VIII Confer
With a View to an Increase
of Wages.

PITTSBURG, PA, July Ex-senator
Mark Hanna has been appealed to by the
Labor Commissioners. who have come
here to adjust the miners strike in the
Pittsburg district, believing that there Is
the key to the situation. They sent the
10 lowing telegram TO Hanna:
with your as istance we can put
through uniformity agreement. Wiil
you lend us this assistance?"
1t is understood that recourse is had to
Hanna, not on account of his political
influence, but because Of his large inter-
ests in Pittsburg and Ohio coal fields. AT
the lakes he is also large purchaser OF
coal. Many of the smaller operators, and
even some of big ones, sell almost their
entire product 10 him. He has influence
with the operators in the Pittshurg dis
trict, many of whom live in Cleveland.
Calef and Ridgly, the Illinois Commits
sioners, left tonight for Chicago. They
will try to induce Colonel W. 2. Rend and
Colonel j. w. Ellsworth to come to Pitts
burg and lend their influence TO the min
ing uniformity plan. Commissioner Nc
Cormack will 20 to Terre Haute to-mor-
row to consult with the president OF the
Indiana Coal Operators Association.
The Comm issoners had another talk
with Operator de Armitt to-day and are
convinced that he is sincere. They talked
with Frank L. Robbins, De A Imitt's chief
opponent in coal quarrels, and he has
promised to sign the uniformity agree.
ment and to use his influence in its IA
vor. They have also talked with Dolan
and Warner, and been assured that the
plan is practicable. ALI that remains to
be done is to get the other operators in
line
This will be hard to do on account OF
the feeling engendered by their quarrels
with De Armitt for the last four years,
but it is believed this feeling can be
smoothed down and solution of the
strike evolved. Chairman Little is now
working on a contract to be signed by 95
per cent of the operators of the district,
and Pittsburg lawyers will also go 10
work on it.
There has been some talk of trouble
being made on the differential in wages
in favor of Ohio coal operators, but it ia
believed that the local operators are SO
anxious to start up their mines that they
will not raise the question.
River coal operators have agreed to sell
no more coal ior the present to railroad
operators. but to hold it for higher prices.
There are 1000, GEO bushels of coal in the
Monongahela River puo)s awaiting high
water 10 float them to Cincinnati.
One OF the features of the present situa-
ton is the position taken by Ratchford,
president of the Miners Union. Ratch-
TO- rafr 70 ht,rr
aid in the new movement He has bs en-
anxious to win this strike on his own lines.
The uniformity movement. if successful,
will settle the strike here and everywhere
else on lines not originated by Ratchford.
WHEELING, w. VA, July 18th G
coal operators of Southern West Virginia
voluntarily gave their diggers another ad-
vance OF half cent bushel this morn
ing. The coming OF William Haskins,
was the cause. In Montg merry field a
feeling of uneasiness has seized the opera.
tors, but they think extra wages will carry
the day.
Emissaries of the Miners Union are
working quietly among the en-. how
ever, and they hope to gather in m ass
meeting all the diggers by Saturday night.
One of the m ST unlooked-for develop
ments among the miners is the large
PEELED 20 cease work in their own State,
they are obtaining employment at West
Virginia mines. Large mum bers of them
have gone TO The Monongahela district.
CINCINN ATT, OHIO, July 15.-The coal.
miners OF the Kanawah district and per-
haps of all West Virginia, will probably
get an advance OF IA cents on the ton in
the next forty eight hours.
This Information comes direct from the
operators themselves. The advance will
give The men 70 cents ION, the highest
price since 1892 In order to justify them
selves in giving this advance the West
Virginia operators will raise the price oi
coal at the m ines from 80 cents to 81 25 a
ton. A delegation of West Virginia oper-
ators is in Cincinnati to-day looking over
the market, and conference here re.
suited in determination 10 raise wages.
The operators returned bone to call a
conference of all West Virginia operators
looking to an increase in every mine.