Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-05-14
NOT YET CLEAR WHAT KANSAS
STRIKE WILL AMOUNT To.
NOT MANY MINERS OUT YET
STRONG FEELING AMONG THE MEN
AGAINST A STRIKE.
At n Number of Mines They Vote Not
to Go Out-A Lockout nt One
Weir City Mine-Scheme for
Giving Strikers Work
in Other Mines.


PITTSBURG, KAS., May 13.-(Special)
The strike, in accordance with the circular
sent out to the different local unions last
Thursday by President Wright, of district
II, is now on, but is not as yet attended
with any great success in point OF num-
bers out. The Yale mines of the Western
Coal and Mining Company ran all day with
a full quota of men, and shaft No. 81. of
the Kansas and Texas Company, was doing
likewise. The miners at these places are
not talking strike. The men at the Cen
trail Coal and Coke Company mines are cut
for to-day and the works are shut down.
The Western Coal and Mining Company's
mines Nos. ., 3 and I, at Fleming, are
practically shut down, Notwithstanding the
fact that few men are working at No. 4
The situation at the Kansas and Texas
mines in Weir, is practically strike
vote taken by the men this forenoon at
mine No. q stood 81 for a strike and 81
against, WHICH is taken as decision. This
was pay day for the Central Coal and
Coke Company at Weir. and the mines were
shut down at noon, as is customary on pay
days, but the vote at all OF the shafts OF
this company precludes all ideas Of strike
under the present call. 1t is thought that
shaft No. 49, of the Kansas and Texas, will
remain out. along with No. %, Monday. 1t
will take until Monday to learn the situa-
tion because of the fact that many of the
men do not work Saturday afternoons at
any time. the officers of district No. IA.
u NJ W. A. feel confident that they will
win the day, although they are meeting
with a great deal of opposition from the
miners at the different mines.
WEIR CITY, KAS.. May 1S.-(Specialo
The strike ordered for noon to-day by the
national executive board U. NJ. w. A has
resulted in only a partial suspension OF
work. There are only two coal companies
here directly affected by the order, the
| Central Coal and Coke Company and the
Kansas and Texas Coal Company. Two
other operators, ]. r. Grove & Co., and W.
| H. Barrett, lessee of the Kansas and Tex
as mine No. 49, are involved by reason of
the latter company taking all their coal
| under contract.
Mass meetings were held at the mines of
| these companies and the strike question
voted on by each mine separately. At the
Central Coal and Coke Company's mine
No. s. employing nearly 200 miners. the
vote was unanimously against a strike
even the union men voting against 1t. At
No. IL mine OF the same company, there
are fully 200 miners, and the vote was
| about to l against strike. At this COM
pany's mine No. 3. only few men are en-
ployed, as 1t is nearly worked out and will
be closed shortly. They were unanimous
| against strike. however. At Kansas and
| Texas mine No. So. six union men ana
| twenty-seven non-union men were in the
meeting. The former voted for strike. one
| non-union man did not vote, and the re-
| naming twenty-six voted against a strike.
| At this company's mine No. 1S employing
| l5O miners, the union men, numbering about
| ont hfr frNvv tla
| cause 1t was understood that. under the
order, they were compelled to strike. This
left the non-union men to vote separately,
but only twenty exercised their right,
the vote standing 10 to IA in favor of a
walkout.
The mine did not start at all this morn
Ing, changing the situation to a lockout
II Is understood that another meeting may
be held and the action reconsidered, in
which case the mine will be in operation
Monday. At Kansas and Texas mine No
2S, employing nearly 100 miners, the union
men voted and carried 1t for strike by a
vote vote Of a to q. The men came out at
2, I25 miners work. Not much more than
half of them attended the meeting, which
voted for a strike by majority of three
| operated by w. Fl. Barrett, four electric
machines mine the coal. The men have
ignored the the, order TO strike. The union
permits striking miners to seek work at
the other mines here and an effort is be-
| ing made to induce each of the miners at
| Sucn places TO take a striker into his room
and share the earnings.
| Calls were posted for meetings in fur
therance of this plan at the mines of the
J. II. Durkee Coal Company, and Bennett
& Grove. At the former place two at
| tempts to get the men to meet proved
| failures. And at Bennett & Groves u
| small meeting was held after one fall
| ure 1t Is said the matter of taking in the
| outsiders will be left with the company.
| There seems to be a strong sentiment
against this strike to secure recognition
OF the union in Arkansas especially since
| IL Is pretty well understood that the Ar
kansas miners themselves are by no means
q unit On the question and that consid-
cradle numbers of them are at work An
other thing that has caused unfavorable
| comment is the announcement of the list
of mine demands which the executive
board has suggested that the miners of
| this district make on their own behalf
| The contract under which the miners are
working does not expire until September l
| this year and the non-union men say that
| the springing up of these demands now is
simply a scheme on the part of the union
| to furnish the men with local grievance
| that will cause them to come out On the
| other hand, the union men say that If this
| strike to secure the recognition of the
| union falls, then the Kansas union will be
| the next to go. This is the largest coal
| mining center in Kansas. Weir City alone
producing annually 2S per cent of the Kan
| sas output. The state mine inspectors re-
port shows the annual shipments from
| Weir City to be about three times as large
| as that Of Pittsburg, the second place In
| point of coal billed.