The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-08-10
STRIKES PROGRESS.
Arbitration Committee to Car
vass Amongst Operators to
Forward the Uniform
ity Agreement.

| PITTSBURG, Aug. To- 1S9T.-There was
| no new developments in the coal opera
| tors arbitration movement. a meeting
| of the committee was to have been held
last night, but so many of the members
| are out of town that it had 10 be post
poned General John Little says he
hopes to get the committee together this
evening, but he was not certain if all
would be in town.
The object in holding the meeting is to
discuss plans for further steps in promo
tion of the cause. The committee will
organize and arrange to make personal
canvass among the operators who nave
signified their unwillingness to sign the
uniformity agreement. They think that
most of the opposition to the uniformity
results from misunderstanding OF the
provisions contained in the contract or
an insufficient knowledge of its import.
By many operators, especially the river
coal men, the scheme is not considered
feasible, and they hesitate joining the
movement for that reason.
No signed contracts have yet been re-
ceived by the committee. but it is learned
that two or three have put their names to
the paper. D. E. Blackburn signed Satur-
day night, but still holds the contract in
his possession. The intention of the COM
mittee is to secure the signatures of the
larger firms first, and after that it is
thought the smaller operators will fall
into line. The committee is not uneasy
about securing signatures, however. They
have several months to work up the mat
ter and by January l they expect to have
the required majority of all the operators
in the district.
There is a growing feeling of appre-
hension among coal operators that the
prolonging of the strike for a few more
weeks will prove bad for the lake ship
pers. 1t is cited that when the miners
will have returned to work there will be
such demand for coal for lake shipments
that cars will not be obtainable to rush it
through for shipment before lake insur-
ance rates advance, which occurs near
the time for rough weather on the lakes
and greater risks of cargoes. At present
lake freight rates are low and vessels
are moored at all the shipping points
waiting for cargoes up. When coal again
goes forward to the docks it is feared the
demand for vessels will be SO great that
time will be lost in taking on cargo be-
cause of the limitations at the docks to
moor vessels while loading and at the
upper ports while unloading.
Nothing has been done by the local
operators looking to a settlement of the
strike. They explain this by. saying the
pliance and until they are modified there
is no use of talking about a settlement.
Contracts are said to have been taken
for all of this year a a low specific price,
waving the custoary clauses which make
the price so much above the mining rate.
Most of the lake coal contracts are said
n a q hoo fln hn11 hi n1n1 $50
this year, and operators say that to jump
the cost of mining to the point demanded
by the miners, or any near approach to
it, would mean that the Sheriff would
become an important person in their busi-
ness. They. say they are doing nothing
regarding the settlement of the strike,
but trying to get the uniformity agree
ment into operation. They maintain that
the adoption of this agreement offers the
only, hope of Improvement in the condition
of the miners or an enlargement of their
earnings next year and following year.
and any rate above 60 cents for the re-
mainder All Of this year is impossible;
Creek, claim that large desertion has
taken place from the De Armit mines
and the working force In the pit is too
water works of the city of Pittsburg, at
Brilliant. The strikers have been pray
ing that the dggers would join their
ranks as soon as they were paid, and
they are disappointed because the men
did not quit in a body.
me OIllcldlS OIL the New Ork ana CIeVe-
land Gas Coal Company claim that there
are 200 men in the mine, or the same
number that is usually there on the day
following pay day. The output yester-
claimed to be a full force in the mine,
was only fourteen cars Of lump and fif-
teen cars of coal that had fallen through
a 21a-inch screen. For the first time since
the siege began the company and the
strikers agree as to the output.
There was no disorder over the pay
1n11t nf q hot fla ,fri1y-
ers and deputies expected trouble. The
amount paid was over $1,000. The dig
gers received from $25 to SAG each for a
two weeks pay. A large number of the
men, when spoken to, said they had lit
tie difficulty in earning $3.50 day, and
they do not see how the strike can bene-
fit them. The company discharged tWen-
ty-nine foreign workmen and last night
all of them took up quarters in the strik-
ers' camp.
The striking miners are expected to
reach Irwin from Turtle Creek tomorrow
morning, and the operators are ready for
them. At Export, the farmers have
notified the Westmoreland Company that
they will not allow the strikers to come
upon their lands, and will treat them as
trespassers They also stated that they
will turn out and protect the companys
property il necessary.
Mr.. Dolans statement that the West
moreland Coal Company and the Penn Gas
Coal Company were selling coal to De
Arnit was investigated today. At the
carload of coal has gone to any firm west
this summer. The men seem strong in
their position against striking, it is
claimed number of Westmoreland Com
pany miners have offered their services
to the companies as deputies when the
strikers arrive.
Fifty deputy sheriffs were transferred
from Plum Creek toTTurtles Creek this
morning to see that order is preserved
while the diggers at the Oak Hill mine
are being paid.
OhIoaDs in West Virginia.
WHEELING, w. Va, Aug. 10. 1857
West Virginia soil was peacefully inyad-
ed by Ohio miners at three o'clock this
morning. One hundred and twenty-seven
miners from the Wheeling Creek region
over the river marched through the city
and reached the Boggs run mines just
below Wheeling at four o'clock.
The Ohio men came for the purpose Of
closing down the Boggs run mine, the
only railroad mine In the Wheeling dis
trict now being operated. They an
nounce they will stay until Boggs Run
joins the strike, and today 200 more from
Barton, Maynard and Pascoe, other min
inc communities in E.astar1 Ohio are to