The Monticellonian., 1899-03-03
|llDks@i'SlS STATE NEWS.
Operators Refuse to Accede to the Demands of Coal Miners and
 the Strike is On.
EVENTS OF 4 WEEK BRIEFLY CHROEICLED.
A Citizen of Yell County Assassin ated. Gall for State sunday-school Con- vention = Latter Day Saints Resolve Against the Seating of Roberts, the Mormon CongresIman- Elect.
Coal Miners Strike.

Speaking of the strike of coal miners h Arkansas and the Indian Territory, Manager Wood, of the Choctaw, Okla homa X Gulf and the Choctaw & Mem. phis railroads, in an interview printed In Little Rock daily, says the strike Is due principally 10 an effort to compel operators to recognize the United Mine Workers Union, and to accept the scale adopted by the union. The miners in this territory heretofore belonged to ho union, and were only recently organ zed. The Ghoetaw company, the larg- est operators in the Territory, and the Western Coal Mining Co, operating mines at Denning, Coal Hill and Jenny Lind, refuse to grant the demands of the union Operators claim the men are better paid thaR those of other sec, tions, and unless non-union man are secured their mines will remain closed indefinitely. On the other hand, the strikers claim they have just cause for complaint
 Following is the scale demanded by the union:
 1. All coal shall be weighed before being screened, and 1000 pounds shall constitute q ton
 2. There shall be run of mine at 60 cents per ton for the Indian Territory, and 6 cents per ton, run of mine, for Arkansas, except the Russellville and Spadra districts The Russellvills dis triet shall be S719 cents per ton, run of mine; 9, 900 pounds to be ton And VIC further request that the maximum dis tance for pushing cars at Russellville, Denning Spadra, 0uita and Coal Hill shall be 90 yards.
 8. That the question of yardage and deadwork be left to individual locals for settlement by agreement or arbitra- tion.
 4 That the relative difference be- tween pick miners and machine men remain the same, except that the load CTS shall receive 80 cents per ton, run of mine.
 b Miners and mine laborers shall be psid every two weeks.
 6 There shall be a uniform price of s175 per keg for powder,
 '. Also uniform price for drivers of B 25 per shift.
 S Also uniform price for trappers of { per shift
 trsb bar ha layers, cagers, rope riders, and slope switehmen shall receive not less than @ D per shift
 10 When the driver receives car of coal, and after it leaves the miners room. it is in charge of the company and the company shall be responsible for it, therefore, the average weight be paid for broken cars, and further, the company shall keep all cars in good shape, with full doors and ends.
 II. Shot frers shall receive not les. than e. 75 per shift
 12. The operators of the district of Arkansas and Indian Territory shall not discriminate against the United Mine Workers of America.
 13. The operators of this district shall grant the check off system.
 1s. Bumpers shall receive not less than sl.so per shift, and the car trim mers and other top hands shall receive not loss than s1 60 per shift. This scale shall be in operation from the 1st day of March, 1899. until the S1st day of August. 1SQq