The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-27
STRIKERS OUTLOOK A R
NO HEADWAT IN WEST VIRGINIA ,
AID ASKED OF TRAINMEN

Aiheo LABOR Lenders 70 Meet In Wheeling To-
hay to Talk over q Sympathetic Strike
Goal Operators Are 10 Meet in Fitt.hurr |
TO Consider the UninOrmity Agreement. !
WHEELING. w. Va. July 26.-Thus far the
coal strike programme of the Mine workerS'
Union for West Virginia has failed utterly, |
Tho days OF toll put In by Debs, Ratchford, Ma. |
hon and a score Of labor advocates have been of
no avail, Their most sanRuine expectations
have fallen, and now the only remedy Ia a call
for aid to the railway organizations. Their re.
fusal to comply with the request to cease haul.
Ing West Virginia coal will mean tho loss OF tho
strike, unless some unforeseen dcvclopment
occurs.
1t requires no special knowledge TO foretell
how the railway trainmen will act in the future.
The position Of Chief Arthur may DO taken as a
conclusive Indication Of the attitude Of
the railway men. They. above all others,
do not want to participate actively in
q losing game. The main efforts Of the labor
leaders who will assemble here tomorrow will
DO to induce trainmen TO give recognition to the
strike cause. The result OF the Debs movement
of 1893 lie still alive in their memories, and they
Will be slow to respond to q call that may mean
the disintegration OF their organizations.
To-day's developments In the coal strike war
rant the positive statement that West Virginia
will not become a striking unit. The number of
mon working in the great Monongah fields has
been increased by at least 200 who went into
the mines to-day. The eighty men who went out
OF the small peddling mines this morning are ex.
pected to return at once. They say that they
were betrayed by men at other mines who prom.
ised to strike to-day. Tonight Debs spoke to
an immense audience in this city. His speech was
uniformly quiet. but at times he waxed strong.
He said he was an agitator, and regarded the
present as the time for American manhood to
assert itself. He said his hopes were for sue
cess, and every day showed progress in the
miners strike. The conference of labor lead
es tomorrow will open at noon, and 1t is
pretty certain that the efforts Of those attending
will be directed to e~ffecting a union Of all organ
lied labor in behalf Of the striking miners.
More men returned to work In the Norfolk and
Western district to-day. The strike agitators
appear to have abandoned that field.
PITTsBURG, Pa, July 28.-There will be q
large attendance Of coal operators at the meet
Ing to be- held in the Court House tomorrow.
To-day they arrived from Cleveland and Chi
cago. Most Of them talk as If they would do
their utmost to put through the uniformity
agreement.
Col. W.. r. Rend of Chicago thinks that the
meeting will not DO on lines broad enough, and
he will endeavor to have the wage question in.
Guided. Tho Colonel says that uniformity In
mining rates practically exists. although he ad.
mits that some operators still run company
stores. He said:
What 10 this uniformity agreement to me, any
howl The strike In Illinois was not caused by
the same grievance as that in Pennsylvania.
Then, according to that, different means will
have to DO considered to settle it there. As far
AS tho uniformity plan itself Is concerned.
! am in favor of what 1t advocates. I
control no company store. and pay my men
every two weeks in cash. ! have advocated the
system OF check weighmen for years. What
more do tho miners wanti They want an in
crease In wages. The conditions which caused
the strike in Illinois were that the operators in
southern Illinois cut prices 80 deeply that the
operators in northern Illinois were compelled
TO cut the mems wages in order to compete with
them. That is where the whole trouble lies,
can have no effect on II: However 1 am willing
70 70 s agIeS to t pbsif9rnity II 1t is one of the means
A call for a meeting of W. T. De Armitt's
miners was issued this morning by the miners
1%Hastsi tsa Il e SS be 5s1s Of De assafGGG Garland j. Il Z she
Amalgamated Association; Connahan, ma.
S t'Snad s e sSs ps IF r.? 6nion ssa S 5FbsP;
81 ae1 iDsmns n. the -, idea Of trying further
ment to issue the call; They hardly expect The
hundreds Of strikers in working clothes will DO
present; 1t was only a rumor that caused tho
HOpubJ 1 " kO u lue DC ATIultt . ulluC5
last night. The strikers were not marching on
the mines. as reported.
commission appointed by Gov. Mount to ~investi.
gate The condition OF the striking coal miners
Msi that tsst T the p sas anes conditiU so7df has Tps eeSS
brought about by repeated reductions in
c ~ases ana f bstmee gp t5 a es to sa1 sGs ,9 9sdn shs9P
and brought about the conditions OF which the
miners complain. The eommission find that
there are many families In the mining districts
that are entirely dependent on local charity,
and that actual suffering has been prevented
Considering the necessities on the basis Of
families" says the report " we found that 4 the
counties win have i,ei7 families in need Of
This would require that relief be furnished
I,7ss persons, to say nothing OF the miners hay.
report. the Governor consulted with the Conn
nissioners and determined to issue AN appeal to
ALTOONA, Pa, July 26.-About 500 miners in
the HASTINGS coal district went out on u strike
to-day. their grievance being that they are re-
quired TO dig one car in five for the snperintend-
emit, for which they receive no pay. Two foreign
We're placed under arrest, and their comrades
threaten a rio II they are not released SUPER
cured a consignment Of rifles with which to arm
the mine guards.
which leased the mines TO the present operators.
The miners intend to appeal directly to the Gov.
About 800 miners in the northern Cambria
region have gone back 10 work, their demand
for check weighmen having been granted.
COLUMBUS, o., July 26.-President Ratchford
OF the miners left tonight for Wheeling to at
tend the conference OF the labor leaders to be
held In that city tomorrow. He was accom-,
panied by Secretary Pearce. Mr.. Ratchford
said:
There is no doubt that the conference will be
attended by all the executive officers Of the va
rions national and international organisation!
with possibly one or two exceptions. | do not
want to predict the action that may be taken
but ! think may state that such action
would he taken as will .centraliEe thu
out the country bringing all the pressure to
bear that the powers OF their organizations car
command to give o speedy victory for the min
ers; The intimidation resorted to, In West Wiz
GINA by the coal operators and tho officers o.
the law has aroused O spirit of resentment
among organized labor generally"
During the afternoon President RatGhford re
ceiVed a telegram from Fairmont, W. Va, Il
the effect that the miners IN that district hat
ioined the strike. lie said that II this was true