The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-07-16
MORE HOPEFUL NOW THE FOREIGN COAL
The Republican Conferees Is Playing a Conspicuous
Hope to Conclude To-day. Part in Miners Strike.
SUGAR STUMBLING BLOCK The FORCES INCREASING
WOOL SCHEDULE PRESENTS A COAL
FURTHER DIFFICULTIES NEAR AT HAND
THE SEEM TO BE DISTURBED STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT RATCHFoRD
The FORCES INCREASING
A COAL FAMINE SAID TO BE
NEAR AT HAND.
STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT RATCHFoRD
Eight States involved in the Strike and Over
SMy-FNe thousand Men Have Quit Work
"A General Suspension of the Coal
Producers of the Nation.

Producers of the Nation.
Pittsburg, Pa, July 15.-This has
been day devoted to work on the part
of the joint arbitration commission in
their efforts to secure true unifority in
this district as ugested by w. p. Dear
NIT, and all express themselves as well
satisfied with the progress made. Two
of the largest operators in the district,
w. p. Deamit and Francis l.. Robbins,
have consented to head the list and the
commissioners feel satisfied that the
other operators will soon fall in line.
1t is claimed by the miners officials,
however, that the understanding was
the akgreement meant 95 per cent Of the
output of the district, whereas it is now
said to mean 95 per cent of the opera
tors. They say that it will be absolutely
impossible to get 95 per cent Of the
operators, as there is a great many
operators mining on a small scale. Presi-
dent Dolan said that while he would
do all in his power to assist the com
| missioners in securing the signatures Of
the operators to the agreement, he
thought the proposition was a scheme
of President Deamit's to keep his men
at work and prolong the strike.
General Little, of the Ohio arbitration
board, said that every obstacle had been
| removed in the way Of a settlement
along the lines proposed and that he had
not heard of any operators who would
not sign.
Commissioner Edward Ridgley and
Horace Calef, of Illinois, left for Chi
cagO this evening to see Col. w. 7.
Rend and J. w. Ellsworth. and il pos
sible induce Col. Rend to return to
! Pittsbufg and use his influence among
the operators to have the agreement
signed. l.. Z. Mccormick, of Indiana,
another of the commissioners, will leave
for Terre Haute tomorrow morning to
see j. Smith Talley to secure his CO.
operation. Mr.. Talley is a heavy pur-
chaser Of Pittsburg coal
This evening the commission sent n
telegram to Senator Mark Hanna asking
him to lend his assistance in having the
agreement adopted.
The situation in the district among the
miners remains unchanged.
Pittsburg, Pa, July 15.-Foreign coal
is beginning to cut quite a figure in the
i
Gals recognize its Importance. They
are, for the time being satisfied with
the small amount of coal that is being
dug in the Pittsburg district and from
now on will look after what they term
outside encroachments.
Much coal is being sold in the Pitts
burgh market from the Clearfield and
Cambria districts. 1t is true that it
does not come to Pittshurg, but goes
TO fill the contracts made at the Great
Lakes. The miners are working at good
wages and it is claimed are willing ITO
come out if the matter is properly
brought before them.
'The men in the Clearfield and Cam
bria districts are working under the de-
lusiOn that they are not conflicting with
the general SUSPENSION" said President
Patrick Dolan, "we have arranged a
conference with some of the leaders in
that section, the time of which l am
not at liberty to announce. / am salts
fed that we will be able to make them
see the error Of their way and join us
in this great battle for bread. AS far
as the Pittsburg district proper is con-
cerned, we have every reason to be
satisfied with the situation
The local officials are manifesting
much interest in the situation in West
Virginia.
An important feature of the local
situation was the shipment of several
hundred empty cars to West Virginia.
They will be loaded with coal and sent
to the lakes filling contracts made with
Pittsburg operators. The Pittsburg
operators claim that they were offered
coal from all section of the country and
had to refuse a number of propositions.
The prevailing price was S1.50, change
being noted from the quotations of the
day previous. The operators claim that
the Enterprise, Bon and Coke mines on
the Carriers branch of the Panhandle
and the Bunola lines on the Mononga-
hela are running at the SO cent rate. The
latter was recently purchased by the
National Rolling Mill Company at Nc
Keesport and is claimed to be running
in full.
The miners officials succeeded in Keep
ing the men employed at the Keeling,
Eureka and Waverly mines from going
to work to-day at the 50 cents rate, which
had been offered to them by their en-
ployers.
According to the miners officials the
operators have closed the company stores
all over the district and supplies to men
have been cut off. This leaves the min
ers dependent upon the fruits Of forage
and charity. In one or two agricultural
communities where the miners are on
strike, the farmers have invited the
strikers to organize committees and send
them with a wagon into the surrounding
country to solicit rather than confscate