Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-07-13
ARBITRATION NOW.
THIS WAY OUT OF COAL-MINE
TROUBLE SOUGHT.
PRICE OF COAL ADVANCING.
Danger Of n Famine I'm the Article
Admitted by All Concerned-Fur-
Their Wage Advance to West yir-
ginia Diggers.

selling at $3.50, an increase OF Is per cent
since the commencement of the struggle
| The feature to-day In matters pertaining
to the strike was the presence in the
city OF the Joint Arbitration Board. who
are endeavoring, by every means possible,
to bring 10 peaceable conclusion the
strife now in progress. The board held
informal sessions to-day, and In the inter-
walls interviewed quite a number OF ope-
rators. the big majority of whom are In
favor of arbitration. provided all Of the
operators will abide by the decision rem
dered One of the dissenters Is w. Z.
De Armitt, president of the New York and
| Cleveland Gas-Coal Company. He de-
clares he has nothing to arbitrate, and
says the strike is the result Of the machi
nations Of politicians.
THE PITTsBURG DISTRICT.
PITTSBURG, PA, July 12.-Beyond the
strengthening of the miners lines along
the rivers, there was little change in the
strike situation to-day. The iron-clad
contracts which were In force at several
mines in the Monongahela Valley were
| swept out OF existence to-day, and the
strike was made general In the fourth
pool The Blythe Coal Company have
| offered the SO cent rate to their men at
the Red-Brd mine. but the officials will
! not allow them TO 20 TO work at present.
The men in the Sickle Hollow mines OF
the Washington Coal Company also came
out to-day. making the suspension COM
plete IN this district, except AZ the mines
| os the New York and Cleveland Gas-Coal
| Company, where about 200 men are
working. No effort has yet been made
to get these diggers out, and the miners
| al other pits, who have laid down their
tools, are grumbling at the slowness Of
| De Armitt's men In Joining the move
ment. The hotheads are advising drastic
measures. They have been kept in check
so far, but there is no telling when the
| fever will break out, and concerted
movement on Sandy and Plum Creek be
made.
The greatest interest Is now manifested
| i'm the scheme 20 arbitrate the strike ques-
| ton. The labor commissioners anu Of
fetal arbitrators Of the several States af-
| fected are mobilizing i'm this city. The
| State of Ohio is the only one which has
a regularly appointed board OF arbitration.
1t exists for just such emergencies as
this, and is well prepared for the work.
| Most OF the others interested are labor
| commissioners and industrial statisticians,
who are also well able to act in the ca
pacity of arbitrators, because of their
work bringing them in touch with the
working classes.
The officials Of West Virginia are ex-
pected here tomorrow. The Illinois Com
missioners OF Labor. ID. Keefe, j. b.
| Gill. and H. II. Colif-are on their way
| to Pittsburg, and will meet the other
! commissioners in this city on Wednesday.
Thus all the States, with the exception
of Kentucky and Tennessee. where the
strike Is on, will be represented in the
conferences, which are to be held here
during the next few days.
ARBITRATION OUTLOOK.
Invitations have been sent TO the coal
| operators Of the Pittsburg District TO
| meet the arbitrators informally, and talk
over the matter Of settling the strike. ii
! is expected by the arbitrator that a
| representative number of the local ope-
rators will be gotten together within the
next twenty-four hours. However. per-
sons who are well acquainted with the
warning factions that exist among the
coal operators here, say they will be
! hard TO get together In this move, al
! though the extreme gravity of the out
look may have the desired effect. Those
In touch with the situation say that the
attempt at Cancellation will simply re-
omen the old discussion of President De
Armitts position on the necessity OF
! price dinerential, 10 compete with the
! company stores. Peace emissaries called
at President De Armitts office to-day,
and IL Is said that he told them 1t would
| be a day or two before he could give
them a definite answer as to the course
| of action ne proposed to follow.
IL the operators can be brought into
line on the conference idea there VIII
be no obstacles interposed by the miners.
President Ratchford notified the ope-
rators publicly a few days ago that ne
was ready for conference at any time.
This afternoon he wired the arbitrators
that the miners officials would meet
with them tomorrow.
COAL FAMINE.
There is a strong Indication Of coal
! famine confronting the country WITHIN
! the next ten days. II is claimed by con-
servative operators that the marketable
| supply at present. which Is placed at lOVD-
/ 900 bushels would be only able TO meet
the dema nds Of the market for about
month. under ordinary conditions. WIN
the scarcity of coal already prevailing
AT the Lake ports, II is claimed that the
|
| the longest. In anticipation Of such
condition. the coal operators are not very
! anxious is fill orders. and are holding out
| for the advance in price that Is expected
| To result. The only source Of supply Is
| the river mines. as the railroads are con-
! fscating all coal ready for shipment along
| their lines.
! There has been a marked increase In
| the price of coal within the past Few
| DAVIS. and Ii Is claimed that lucent
| rate per bushel In boat-load lots VIII be
reached within the present week The
retail dealers. as well as the operators
| i'm general, concede that famine IS
imminent. and look for prices to al
| vance beyond the limit reached during the
/ previous general strike OF miners IN 1851
EASTERN OHIO SITUATION.
/ WHEELING. w. VA, July 2.-Devel-
| on,,apts across the river in the Eastern
| Ohio mining district were meagre to-day.
| Interest has shifted from the Dillonvale
mines. on the Wheeling and Lake Erie
| road. I'D to the river. 10 the region on
the Baltimore and Ohio branch or the
/ river from Bellare. The men at the
| schIck mines have been working at the
eo-cent rate demanded by the strikers.
| hut the men in the other mines along the
baltimore and Ohio object TO the men
working, and are trying to force them
out SO far they have been unsuccessful.
but a meeting is to be held tomorrow
afternoon at o'clock at Nen's siding
with the avowed purpose TO get the men
out at Schick's mines.
| West Virginia coal IL passing over the
three coaf-carrying roads in this vicinity
| I'm large quantities, but so far there mas
| baen no molestation OF trains
Al Dillonvale all Is quiet. and the only