The record-union., 1897-08-12


Their Cause.
PITTSBURG, Aug. 1.-THE commit
tee having in charge the matter of Sc
curing signatures to the proposed uni
fOTmity agreement to govern coal pro-
duction in the iPttsburg district has de-
cided not to encourage the operators to
sign the document until they have had
an opportunity to examine it carefully.
The committee feels that so much time
viii elapse before the proposed agree
ment is to become effective nothing is
to b gained by hurrying matters. Be-
sides that there is no one person spe-
cifically charged with looking after the
affair. 1t is proposed to appoint a sec
retary to the committee who shall con-
duct the correspondence between the
body and those to whom the signed
contracts may be sent.
The Oak Hill miners whose wages
We're withheld by the De Armitt Com
pany yesterday because they had
struck, met at Newton last nigh- and,
after denouncing the company, formally
declared the strike at Oak Hill on and
price of 90 cents per ton IS paid.
Notwithstanding this action, there
We're more men at work in the mine this
morning than on any day since the
rnarchers appeared in the nelghbor-
hood. At least twenty men went into
the pit at o'clock who were not there
yesterday or the day before. Nearly all
were among the number who were re-
fused cash for their check weighmaH
slips yesterday afternoon, and few
were at the meeting at Newton last
night. Most of them live in Turtle
Creek. They went into the mine on
fiat cars on the De Armit road before
daylight.
The pound parade" at the camp of
the strikers, in Turtle Greek, brought
TO the commissary provisions hardly
enough for one meal There ara about
800 men and two bands in the camp
and after their usual morning march
on the Oak Hill mine they were served
short rations. Vice President Mckay
who is in charge of the camp, said the
latter win be replenished before noon.
At Plum Greek the full quota OF 2S5
ment went in before o'clock, and the
De Armitts are jubilant. The striking
marchers watched them going in, but
they still hold that they viii be out in
a few days.
At Sandy Creek there has been no
change in the situation since Monday.
The strikers continue their marches,
and about 250 men continue at work.
There is a report being discussed
about the mines and on the street cor
ners in Pittsburg that the New York
and Cleveland Gas Coal Company has
under consideration a plan that is en-
tirely new as applied to coal mining,
viz: Sharing the profits annually with
the miners. The plan will not be put in
effect, however, until after the strike.
Those claiming to have knowledge of
the purposes of the company say the
plan is copied after the system in force
in Wanamaker's stores in Philadelphia
and New York and in other large retail
establishments in the East. The divi-
sion viii be according to the earnings
Of the men. The man who digs the most
coal will get the largest share. 1t is
proposed to retain the present form of
contract, binding the diggers to work
for 10 cents less a ton than the miners
are paid at other mines in the district,
so as to enable the company to compete
with other mines in the market. This
plan, it is claimed, will enable the com
pany to select their men from the best
miners in the district and encourage the
building of homes by the miners near
their works. There will be no change
in the present system of working the
mine. T. b. De Armitt, when seen re-
~
would rather not talk about it at pres
ent, as it was not fully decided upon
Several threatening letters have been
received by President De Armitt re-
Gently he says.
Coal is still plentiful here and prices
steady. There is a large quantity of
coal in the river available for rail shin
ments, but much that was held for
emergencies is now being sold, as it IS
regarded by the operators as almost
certain that a break viii be made by
the miners at several places within the
next ten days The reason given for
this view is that there is great destitu-
ton in the families in villages sur
rounding the mines. The contributions
from the public have been devoted
large to feeding the men at the
camps. while the women and children
in isolated villages have been neglect
ed. Appeals to the officials come from
the villages every day for aid for the
families of men who are at the various
camps. Operators think the strike viii
be continued at certain places as long
as the contributions are SO liberal. But
the destitution prevailing in the vii
lagos is relied upon TO induce the men
10 accept the offers which have been
made by the operators until settled
rate will have been established As
high as 20 cents a ton. 10 cents more
than is demanded. has been offered ny
some operators, whose contracts speoi-
fy coal of a certain grade. and which
is only obtainable at fancy prices.
The meeting TO be held at Irwin To-
day is regarded as almost certain 70
result in the cessation of production at
the mines of the Pennsylvania Gas
Coal Company, the Westmoreland Gas
Coal Company. the Penn-Orr shaft and
the small mines in that vicinity. There
is tall. among the leaders of a march
70 the mines of the keystone Coal and
Coke Company. largely owned by Con-