The Topeka state journal., 1897-06-03
ARMY TO GO OUT
10000 Coal Miners in Three
States to Strike.
A Battle For the 50 Cent Scale
is Coming.
FIGHT TO A FINISH.
Large Operators Control Lake
Front DOckage.
Mark Hanna's Company Stands
at the Head.

Pittsburg, June 3.-The national ex-
ecutive board of the United Mine Work
ers of America has decided to order
general strike throughout Pennsylvania,
Ohio and West Virginia to secure the
90 cent rate for mining. The order is
expected to be in the hands of the
workmen within a very few days.
More than $4,000 miners will be affect
ed by the order and a desperate strug-
gle between the men and operators Will
result. The order, it is said, has been
decided on because of the fact that Is
of the large coal companies in the Pitts
burg district have secured control or
all the lake front dockage.
This year the conditions in the lake
market are entirely different from what
they We're in former years Time was
when the smaller operators could mar
ket coal on the lake front, but TINS year
all has been changed. Now lhey can
not dispose of any coal unless 1t goes
through the hands of the 13 coal COM
panies
While the miners in the Pittsburg
district have been battling against
reduction to "a cents a ton, the opera
tors have been quietly at work on the
lake fronts. Every foot of dockage IS
now in the hands of one of the 13 COM
panies. With coal mined at 54 cents
they would be in virtual control of the
market and need not fear inroads by
any of the smaller operators.
The companies having succeeded in
getting control of the docks are: NJ. A.
Hanna & Co, Ellsworth Coal Co. Cud-
dy, Mullen & Co, the W. L. Scott mines,
Ohio & Pennsylvania Coal Co, Moon
Run Coal Co, Osborne, Saeger & Co,
Morgan, Moore & Pain, Pickards
Mather & Co., w P. Rend, Robbins
Coal Co, Pittsburg & Chicago Coal Co.
and the New York G. Cleveland Gas
Coal Co.
It is claimed by the miners officials
that trade has been solicited at the 81
cent rate. The coal comes from Ohio,
Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The
Pittsburg district was the cause of
much contention in the national con-
VentiOn of the miners held in COlum bus
last January. During the month of
December preceding the operators in
this district offered the miners so cts. a
ton during the months of January and
February and 65 cents the following
months. The local miners refused to
accept the offer The question was
acted on by the national convention
and taken entirely out of the hands Of
the Pittsburg district officials. 1t was
referred to the executive board and
they were given power to act. They
were instructed to make a demand for
SO cents at a. time they thought proper.
The board has been Considering the
question for some time. During the
past two weeks NJ. d. RatchfOrd, the
national president, has been in the
Pittsburg district and has made re-
port to the board. Patrick Dolan, pres
ident of the Pittsburg district. said last
night that the board had decided to de-
clare a strike in Ohio, Pennsylvania and
| West Virginia.
Il have advised against a strike and
can say that I am not in favor of it,
said President D0lan last night. But
since the executive board has taken the
matter out of our hands, I have come
to the conclusion that the miners of the
Pittsburg district might just as well go
! down making a struggle for what Is
| due them as starving to death. The
men in this district have become hard
ened to hunger and suffering and are in
| as good a condition to strike now as
! they ever were.
/ the supply for the lake trade when it
| opens, if but for a short time only,
| there are good prospects of winning
| out. On the face of it it is unfair to
| try to grind the miners down to the 54
/ cent rate when the operators offered
! them go cents the first of the year In
| the coming battle believe we will have
/ the sympathy of many of the smaller
| operators. 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 ValueleSS and
I their business will be gone unless they
I come to the terms of the big opera tors.
Il think will be in shape to bring
out the men employed by nearly every
! coal company in the lake front combi-
nation. I look upon the near future
with dread and when the strike is once
4 started no one knows what the results
/ will be-