The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-28
$4,000 MINERS MAY QUIT
STRIKE SANCTIONED BY THE Ma
TIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD.
Sixty-Nine-Cent Rate to Be Demanded
by Pennsylvania, Ohio and West
Virginia Diggers.

PITTSBURG, Pa, May 27.-The national
executive board of the United Mine Work
ers of America have decided to order a gen.
eral strike throughout Pennsylvania, Ohio
and West Virginia to secure the 69-cent
rate for mining. The order is expected
to be in the hands of the workmen within
a very few days. More than fifty thousand
miners will be affected by the order and
a desperate struggle between the men and
the operators will result. The order it is
said, has been decided on because of the
fact that thirteen of the large coal COM
panies in the Pittsburg district have Sc
cured control of all the lake-front dockage.
This year the conditions in the lake mar
ket are entirely different from what they
were in former years, says the Pittsburg
Post. Time was when the smaller operators
could market coal on the lake front, but
this year all has been changed. Now they
cannot dispose of any coal unless it goes
through the hands of the thirteen coal COM
panies While the miners in the Pittsburg
district have ben battling against reduc-
ton 10 "a cents ton, the operators have
been quietly at work on the lake fronts.
Every foot of dockage is now in the hands
of one of the thirteen companies. With
coal mined at "a cents, they would be in
virtual control Of the market and need not
fear inroadS by any OF the small operators.
The Pittsburg district was the cause of
much contention in the national convention
OF the miners held in Columbus, o., last
January. During the month OF December
preceding the operators in this district Of
fered the miners 90 cents ton during the
months of January and February and 90
cents the following months Inc local
miners refused to accept the offer. The
question was acted on by the national con-
Vention and taken entirely out of the
hands of the Pittsburg district othcials. 1t
was referred TO the executive board, and
they were given power, TO act. They were
80 10 dol md or anTG
at a time they thought proper.
The board has been considering the ques
ton for some time During the past two
weeks Nj. ID. Ratchford, the national presi-
dent, has been in the Pittsburg district and
has made a report to the board. Patrick
Dolan, president of the Pittsburg district,
said last night that the board had decided
to declare strike in Ohio, Pennsylvania
and West Virginia Il have advised against
of it," said President Dolan last night.
But since the executive board has taken
the matter out of our hands | have come
to the conclusion that the miners or the
Pittsburg district might Just as Well go
down making a struggle for what Is due
them as starving, to death: me men in
this district have become hardened to hun
ger and suffering and are IN as good con-
dition to strike now as they ever We're.
If they can succeed in cutting off the sup
ply for the lake trade when it opens-if for
short time only-there are good prospects
of winning out. on the face OF IL ii IS un-
fair to try to grind the miners down to the
54-cent rate when the operators offered
them 60 cents the first of the year. In the
coming battle | believe we will have the
sympathy of many OF the smaller opera
tors Just as sure as the operators having
control of the docks carry out their plans
so sure will the sheriff have business with
the smaller ones. Their property will be
rendered valueiess and their business gone
unless they come to the terms of the big
operators / think we will be in shape TO
bring out the men employed by nearly
every coal company in the lake front com
bination / look upon the near future with
dread and when the strike is once started
no one knows what the results will be-