The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-07-03
THE STRIKE OF MINERS.
A General Suspension Of Work Or
dered For July 4. sesss,, s,s,:,.
A DEMAND FOR LIVING WAGES.

In Some Places Seventy-hve Gents q
Day Is Above the Average of Wages.
Strike Leaders Declare That 276, 200
i Men Arc Involved,
Columbus, July "a general strike OF
miners of the United Mine Workers of
America has been ordered for July
by the national executive board, whose
headquarters is in this city, and also by
the district presidents, as the result Of
meeting held here June "a. rs and 2s.
The officers here say 375000 men are
/. involved as proposed strikers. So far
as anything can be learned here from
officials, the call for the Pittsburg
meeting Of miners today Is to decide
Z how the strike is to be conducted In
that direction. They have to consider
plans to take care of the women and
children during the strike. President
Ratchford says this is the best time to
settle the question of wages, as during
the summer the men can make use of
their little garden plots in obtaining
subsistence. The needs of clothing are
not as great as In winter
The proposed scale Is intended by the
miners to make work for miners prof
table to them in the Pittsburg district
and elsewhere. Pittsburg, as claimed,
is paying 81 cents per ton and Ohio 81.
TO make the dlfferential what the Ohio
operators claim 1t ought to be they
threaten to reduce Ohio miners to as
cents per ton, or nine cents below
Pittsburg. The miners propose. If pos
I sible, to raise Pittsburg prices SO as to
Z. prevent reduction in Ohio to 45 cents,
and the possibility of even q further
T.. reduction here in case Pittsburg should
keep on lowering as Ohio lowered to
maintain the differential of nine cents.
District President Patrick Dolan. Of
the miners association, in. an interview
at Pittsburg regarding the strike cir
cular, said: 'It will remain with the
convention Of miners today to decide
whether a strike shall be inaugurated
in this district or not. The circular
contains only recommendation of the
officials of the United Mine Workers.
II it is decided to strike l will do all
in my power TO make it general"
A number of Pittsburg operators
were seen, but none appeared to be
worrying over the probability Of
strike. They are of the opinion that
q strike at this time can not be made
general. Some say they will pay the
advance, and can do SO and make
money, provided the majority of the
mines are closed. The miners leaders
believe, however, that IL the conven-
tion orders a strike they will be able
to bring out all the miners, whether
they are working under contract or not.
The miners Of Spring Valley, Ills,
have voted unanimously to obey the
order of the national executive board
of the United Mine Workers of Amer
lea to mine no more coal after July 4.
All employees of the company, whose
wages rise and decline when the wages
of the miners are affected, have also
been asked to come out This means
that. all the trappers and even the
cagers, who have charge of the hoist
ing of cars. will also come out. This
puts a serious aspect upon the stua-
tion, for If the mines are allowed to
remain idle without the constant at
tention of the trapoers 1t would not
take long for them to cave. The miners
of that city are very determined. They
have had their wages reduced nearly
50 per cent in the past four years, and
IS cents a day is above the average.
The men went into the mines this
morning. fixed up their rooms and took
out their tools, and say they will re-
main out until the operators conccde
their demands. All kinds of business
in the city will be more or less de-
moralized,
The calling of general strike has
caused much agitation among the
miners at Brazil, Ind. There is no
Organization there, and official infor-
nation cannot be secured. The leading
miners believe the workmen there will
join in the strike, notwithstanding they
are in destitute condition and un-
prepared to stand a strike. A mass
meeting Is called for TODAY, and the
state president of the United Mine
Workers is expected to be present.
At Terre Haute, Ind. President
Knight, of District No. II. United Mine
Workers OF America, officially con-
firms the news Of miners strike. His
estimate, however, of The number Of
men who will be involved Is about 1O0.-
COO, Mr.. Knight says the object of the
strike is to clear out the markets and
enable the operators to pay living
wages to their men. He declares 1t Is
not a war on operators, and the miners
do not so regard 1t. They admit, accord
ing to MIR. Knight, that the operators
are not responsible for the present ag-
gravated condition of affairs, but are,
like the men they employ, the victims
OF overproduction and under consump-
tion. Mr.. Knight says that while the
miners may not be especially hopeful
as to the outcome of the strike, they
feel sure they have nothing to lose and
trust they may gain something. 1t is
believed the block coal miners will
also join the strike.
A special from Birmingham, Ala.
states that the miners at Brookside,
Brazil, Cardiff, Blossburg Blocton,
Adser, Johns and Sumter coal mines
are idle, having refused to accept re-
duction. Three hundred coke ovens at
Johns have been shut down and notice
given that work is indefinitely post
poned. In Birmingham and Gate City
two rolling mills have closed awaiting
> the signing of the scale Of the Anal
Samated Association of Iron and Steel
Workers