The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1897-07-07
MILLS CLOSE DOWN.
Thousands Of Steel Workers Forced
Into Idleness.
Failure to Agree Upon the Wage
Scalc-A Strike of Great Enormity
Is Anticipated Among the
Coal Miners.

Pittsburgh, Pa. July 2.--As the re-
suit OF the failure of the joint wage
conference of the Amalgamated Assoc
citation of Iron and Steel Workers and
| manufacturers to agree upon the scale
at the Youngstown conference Wednes-
day, all the union mills closed down
Thursday and between $4,000 ana
| $4,000 men are idle.
| This includes the skilled workmen
and those depending on them. Presl-
dent Garland returned from Youngs-
town at night. When seen Thursday
| he said he was not discouraged at the.
| outlook, but looked for a settlement
after the annual repairs at the mills
have been completed. Thursday morn
ing the employees of Jones & Laughlins
met and discussed the proposed % per
| cent. reduction in wages which, it is
said, is contemplated. 1t is said that
the meeting reported unfavorably upon
the proposition.
| The general suspension of work
Thursday following the disagreement
of the joint conference committee at
Youngstown Wednesday cannot be re-
| garded as either a strike or lockout.
Repairs are always made at this season
of the year and many manufacturers do
not sign the scale until after their
plants have been overhauled. This
usually takes two or three weeks. In
the meantime the conference commit
tee will meet and endeavor to settle the
| differences. If the committee finds
that an agreement is impossible the
| strike can then be considered as on in
| earnest
All the tin plate plants in the coun-
try, with the exception of four nom
union concerns, are idle, and number
of manufacturers are anxious to get
| to work. The workers insist that they
| will make no concessions, while the
manufacturers are willing to grant at
| least ten per cent. of an advance over
the present rates.
| Milwaukee. July 2.-The plant of the
Illinois Steel company. at Bay View,
closed down Thursday morning. and
will remain closed until the manufac-
| turers and the Amalgamated associa-
| ton have come to an agreement over
| the new scale. The Illinois Steel COM
| pany is not a member of the manufac-
| trrers' association, but will be governed
by the scale agreed upon by the two as
! sociations. There are 900 employees at
! the Bay View plant. who are now idle.
Anderson. Ind, July 2.-All tin plate
works in the gas belt. particularly Ell
| wood, Atlanta, Gas City and Montpelier,
! closed Thursday morning in all of the
| departments governed by the wage
scale. All skilled labor in the union win
dow glass factories was suspended
Thursday, pending readjustment of
| the wage scale.
| Terre Haute, Ind. July 2.-NeXt Sun
day, or prior to that day, circulars will
| be placed in the hands of all the btu
minous miners in the United States call
| ing them out on strike. 1t is estimated
| that 100000 men will be involved. Penn
| sylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and
parts of West Virginia and Kentucky
will contribute to the movement. The
strike is to enforce the Columbus scale
| Of 60 cents per ton for Pennsylvania, go
cents for Ohio, 60 cents for Indiana and
IS cents for Illinois. When the Column
bus scale was adopted it was not
| thought advisable to attempt its en-
| forcement. committee was then APP
| pointed to take in hand the matter of
a strike and to order one as soon as such
| a course seemed opportune. This COM
mittee has decided that the time has
| come to act.
Altoona, Pa, July 2.-Taylor & Nc
| Cows Gallitzin coal miners, who struck
month ago against reduction of five
! cents ton on coal going into coke, and
who returned to work on Tuesday at the
reduction, have again gone on strike.
| Organizers got among the men Wednes-
| day and late in the afternoon they all
| quit work.
| Streator, H., July "A mass meet
ing of miners here Thursday voted
unanimously to go on strike now and
not wait for general suspension order.
Braidwood, ILL.,, July 2.-The miners
| of the entire Wilmington field met at
Glackeu's Grove Thursday and decided
by unanimous vote to go on strike
! when the national officers order sus-
pension of work.
Columbus, o., July 2. = President
| Ratchford and Secretary Pearce, cf the
| United Mine Workers. reassert that
there is no official authority for the
statements that general strike of the
members Of the miners unions is to be
| ordered. They state that the conditions
| are such in some localities. however,
| that the miners cannot be controlled
and that local strikes are likely to oc-
| cur.
Chicago. July 2.-The United Mine
Workers of Illinois have appealed.
through Secretary Ryan, to United
| States Senator Mason to exert himself
| in behalf of the coal miners of the state.
Secretary Ryan claims that 10000 min
ers are in immediate need of relief. He
says that work is SO scarce and wages