The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-07-14
ARB1TRAToRs MEET.
President of N. z. & Cleveland Co.
Appears Before the Commission.

Pittsburg, Pa, July 14.-There is a
luIl in the miners strike in this district,
attributable to the fact that nearly every
mine in the district is idle. To keep up
the enthusiasm and prevent the strik-
ers from becoming lukewarm IN the
cause however, the officials have ar
ranged for a series of meetings IN dlf-
ferent sections every day. Three meet
ings were held yesterday at Banning,
Fayette City and West Newton. At
each place resolutions were adopted not
to return to work until the officials
gave the order. A meeting was held
at Snowden, on the Wheeling division,
and the men were unanimous to stand
firm for the SO cent rate. The miners
of this division fear that the company
will soon begin eVictiOnS from their
houses, and intimate that if this is at
tempted there will be trouble The
meeting was addressed by President
Garland of the Amalgamated associa-
ton M p Carrick of the Painters and
Decorators and John Kelly of the Unit
ed Labor league.
News reached the miners headquar-
ters yesterday afternoon that the dig
gers in Camel, Warner and Morgan
mines, Beaver county, had thrown
down their picks and Joined the general
strike. The three pits employ about
300 men. The strike has also spread to
Mercer county. Five mines are idle
in that region. The men struck for an
advance of 10 cents per ton. An ef-
fort was made yesterday to resume
work at the Eagle mine at MonOnga-
hela City.
1t is a cooperative concern, but the
sentiment of a majority of the stock
holders was against resumption, and it
was decided to keep the pit closed until
the strike was settled. A delegation
from Brownsville says the Knob, Beau
mont, Umpire and Albany mines have
closed and that the miners have Joined
in the general strike.
National President NJ. D. Ratchford
of the United Mine Workers is expected
in Pittsburg today and will meet the
arbitration commissioners. There is a
bare possibility that the joint arbitration
conference may yet lead to the termin-
alton of the miners strike on the basis
of the true uniformity agreement
proposed by President De Armitt of the
New York and Cleveland Gas Coal
company last year, but which failed
Two sessions of the arbitration board
were held yesterday. At the afternoon
session President De Armitt told of the
conditions which exist from his point
of view He recited the history of the
miners struggles for better conditions.
He told of the great uniformity move
ment in 1886, which failed of its pur-
pose Mr.. De Armitt said:
IF the operators of the Pittsburg dis
trict will abolish their company stores.
use a uniform screen, give honest
weight, 1000 pounds of coal for a ton,
pay cash every two weeks, ! will leave
it to any committee to settle the price of
mining and pay it, no matter how high,
provided all my competitors pay the
can be brought about, 1 will not agree
to abolish the contract with my men
nor can L afford to do so.''
Mr.. De Armitt pointed to the fact
that his men were working when al
most every other mine in the district
was idle. He said that he fully intend
ed to pay the men the district price
whenever the other operators will meet