The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1897-09-24
$4,000 MINERS RETURN
TO THE SHAFTS.
1T LASTED TWELVE WEEKS
Presid ont Ratchford Declares tho Result
3 Great Victory for Trades Untons
West Virginia and Illinois
Strikes Will Not he Ended
at Present-The Way
to Stop Strikes.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 90 M y. Ratch
ford. president of the United Mine
Workers of America, who is attending
Especial meeting of the officers of the
National Federation of Labor, gave
out the following statement to-day:
'To-day will see about $1,000 miners
resume work in the bituminous coal
fields of the cen trail states. The strike
generally ends to-day. This is the
middle Of the twelfth week of its
duration. 1t was brought to close
at our convention held at Columbus,
Ohio, on the Sth to the tn of the
present month, the ten days time be-
ing given to allow miners and opera
tors to come together in Illinois and
West Virginia to meet the prices fixed
-65 cents a ton in Pittsburg,
Sc cents in Ohio and Indiana
the same to continue till the end
of December. The mining situation
is not likely to become disturbed again
until the beginning of next year, at
which time we hope to be able to set
tie wage differences amieably and
without the necessity of strike. 1t
is we'll understood that the fight will
continue from the present time in all
fields and against al operators who
refuse to meet the rates. The great
est trou BILE will b.. found in West Vir-
ginia and portion of Illinois. I am
still hopeful, however, that the pro-
ducers in those fields will conform to
the change and put their mines in ope-
ration. Failing to do this We will
fight them as we have done until the
beginning of next year, at which
time, it is said, their present contracts
will expire.
VICTORY FOR TRADES UNIONS.
II am well satisfied with the agree
ment reached. and feel that it is the
greatest victory gained by trades un-
ions for years. OF course the victory
is not altogether one of the miners.
While they have done the striking,
trades unions and organized bodies
have supplied the necessaries without
which the miners could not possibly
saccoed. 1t is a vic: orvsfor organized
asbor. and not for any particular trade,
and we want our friends who have
helped us to feel that it is their VIC
tory rs well as ours feel very
grateful for the assistance given us by
the American Federation of Labor
and the kindly disposition shown us
at all times by Mr.. Gompers and the
members of his executive committee"
Asked as to the situation n West
Virginia and Illinois, Ratchford said:
MY advices from West Virginia are
to the effect that our miners are stand
Ing firm, are we'll eased with the
agreement reached an evince de-
termination to fight their battle to the
end. Our purpose is to bring the
miners and operator, Of that state to-
gether in joint convention. that a
uniform mining price may be fixed
and paid for the same vein of coal, and
q fair relative price for other veins
within the state. AS to Illinois, con-
vention of the Illinois m ners is being
held now. | have not mad any ad-
vices from there. but can safely pre-
dict what they W IL 10 They will
continue the struggle until fair prices
are established. The greatest diff
Guilty in the way of advancing the ILL.,
nois district, is the fact that contracts
were taken last spring. based upon q
low mining rate, as they were in Pitts
burg and elsewhere iiut this is a
matter that we cannot be responsible
tor; is matter OF business to the op-
orator himself. No man has right
to sell another mans labor one year
In advance without consulting the
laborer.
A SURE WAY TO STOP STRIKES
I'VE believe that there is but one
sure way to keep down strikes and
disputes, which are no advantage to
either side, and that is that the miners
and operators interested from the
VARIOUS states to meet annually, mu-