Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-21
RATCHFORD WELL PLEASED
President of United Mine Workers Satisfied
With Strike Results.
Says the Settlement Marks the Grent-
est Victory Ever Achieved by
Organized Labor,

M. ID. Ratchford, president of the United
Mine Workers of America, who Is here to
attend special meeting of the officers
OF the Federation of Labor. gave out the
following authorized statement today:
Today will see about 1900 miners re-
sumo work in the bituminous coal fields
Oh the central states. The strike generally
ends today. This is the middle of the
twelfth week of its Duration 1t was
Drought to close at our convention, held
at Columbus Ohio on the Sth to the llrh
OF the present month. ten days time being
given to allow miners and operators TO
come together in Illinois and West vir-
gina, to meet the prices flxed-65 cents a
ton in Pfttsburg. Sc cents I'm Ohio and In
9iana, the same to continue till the end of
december. The mining situation is not
lkely to become disturbed again until the
beginning of next year, at which time we
hope to be able to settle wage differences
amicably and without the necessitv of a
strike"
Fight to Continue.
1T is well understood that the fight xiII
continue from the present time in all
nelds and against all operators who refuse
10 meet the rates. The greatest trouble
VIII be found in West Virginia and a por-
tion OF Illinois. 1 am still hopeful, how
ever, that the producers in those fields
VIII conform to the change and put their
mines In operation Failing to do this we
WIN nght them as We have done until the
neglnning of next year, at which time il
is said their present contracts will ex-
pire
I am well satisfied with the agreement
Ieacned, and feel that it is the greatest VIC
tory gained by trades unions for wears or
course, the victory is not altogether one of
the miners. While they have done the
.' s..iiAihs, raoes unions and organized bodies
nave supplied the necessaries without
which the miners could not possihIy s,,c-
ceed 1t is victory for organized labor
and not for any particular trade. and we
want our friends who have helped us 20 feel
tnat Ii Is their victory as well as ours
1eel very grateful for the assistance Given
US by the American Federation of Labor
and the kindly disposition shown US at ali
times by Mr.. Gompers and the members
or his executive committee"
Situation in West virginin.
Mr.. Ratchford was asked as to the situa-
ton In West Virginia and Illinois. He said ::
My advices from West Virginia are to
the effect that our miners are standing
nrm, are well pleased with the agreement
reached, and evince determination to fight
their battle to the end. Our purpose is 10
bring the miners and operators of that
state together in a joint convention. that a
uniform mining price may be fixed and paid
A.
1--WE price Tor other veins within the state
In short, fix a mining rate that will give TO
west virginia fair competing opportunities
and nothing more.
'As to Illinois n convention of tba Ju,
nois miners is being held now. 1 have not
had any advices from there, but can safely
predict what their action will be- They will
continue the struggle until relative prices
are established.
THE greatest difficulty in the way of ao-
vance In the Illinois districts is the fact
that contracts were taken last spring
based upon low mining rate as they
We're IN Pittsburg ard elsewhere. But this
is matter that we cannot be responsible
Tor: is matter of business to the operator
himself. No man has a right to sell an
cther mans labor one year in advance
without consulting the laborer. While we
have always deferred to the claims of men
along those lines, the time has come when
70 further consideration can be given
them, because the wages paid to the miner
Is peioW the living point and the preserva-
affairs.
Fixing of "a Rate,
The fixing of a mining rate that will
give fair competing opportunities is the OBJ
Ject OF the miners organization eyerv-
Where. We have been working to bring the
operators of the several states together
Win TINS END in view. Though our sfforts
nave been futile, We will continue to ad.
vocate that policy, believing there is hut
one sure way to keep down strikes and
disputes, which are no advantage to either
side. and that that is for the miners ana
operators interested from the various
states 10 meet annually, mutually fix prices
1or each district that are fair and inst
ana each party to the agreement to OBJ
serve it faithfully until snhseouoot
agreement takes its place Durfnp tbe
eignt wears that this system was in yop,,e
strikes and disturbances of a general char
acter were unknown, and the causes which
soo saSe rise 70 them can again be removed as
their interests in this light" 'ee