The Portland daily press., 1900-09-15
MINERS CAN'T HOLD OUT.
Operators Say They Have No Funds to
Withstand Strike.

Oliphant, president of the Delaware 85
Hudson railroad said today that at
conservative estimate 1900, 900 tons of
coal were taken out of the mines in Au-
gust. The average output, he added, was
between 5000, 900 and 1000, 900 tons; SO
it appears that the output or the month
of August was nearly 1,OO00 600 tons in
excess of the average monthly yield In
addition to this, of course, there Will be
the output for half of the month OF Sept
which Will probably be nearly 100000
tons. as the mines have been worked to
their greatest capacity owing to the fear
of u strike. On the strength Of these cir
cumstances the operators declare that
all talk OF an impending famine is mere
~ a scheme OF the retailers to furnish
grounds for raising the price Of-eourse,
If the strike is prolonged, two or three
months, it is admitted that the situation
will be serious.
One of the presidents of large com
pany declared today that for many OF
the companies to yield to the miners de-
mands would mean bankruptcy 1t would
cost Sc, 00O,OOO year, he declared to in
crease the wages of the men ten per cent;
and the companies might as we'll go out
ofKbusiness as do that. Those concerns
that were not ruined, he added would
have their dividend rate reduced to 80
per cent, at which rate mining securities
were not readily marketable.
In view of the assertion that the re-
sources of the United Miners union
would be able to stand the strain OF
long strike, attention was called to the
treasurer's balance sheet for the month
of July, which she wed on August 1, thai
the association had balance on hand
of $7l, 3O6 So. The total receipts up to
date, 1t appeared were S94, 1e5 66 and the
expenditures for the month were $22, SS9,
Oh.
Unless the resources Of the union had
been materially augmented in a month,
it's total assets divided among the 15O 600
worKmen, who are expected to 80 on
strike, would give each man about fifty
cents. 1t was, therefore, believed that
in case the miners strike, they would
have to depend for support upon some
other source than the United Mine
Workers union, Even If the statements
of the union that it had a $500, 900 reserve
fund for the strikers were true, it was
added, this would give each minerZa lit.
tie more than So each.
There appear to be two points of views
as to the likelihood of a coal famine as
the result of the impending miners
strike.
One is the point OF view of the opera
tors and the other that of the retailers
The reason for this difference of opinion,
it was said today, was that practically
all the coal available is now in the hands
of the retailers, and that the wholesalers
are, to all intents and purposes, out Of
business. Even the coal that has been
taken out by the miners during the past
few days, 1t was said today, is not the
property of the operators, but or the re-
tailers VINO have taken alarm at the strike
talk and put IN q large supply. The
operators. it is said, had sold all this coal
to the retailers at the usual rates, any
where from $3.50 to So 70 a ton. They
have everything therefore, to gain by
a rise in the price.
OUTLOOK GLOOMY.
Wlkesbarre. Septomber 14.-G. M. VII
liams, state ins ctor of the fourth an
thracite district which with the second
district covers the entire Wyoming re-
gion, said today:
During my work IN the mines In con
nection with the duties of my position,
L. have talked with many OF the men.
They say they are not in favor Of a strike
but when the order takes effect they VIII
stay at home rather than combat the
struggle Of their fellow workers From
pr esent indications regret to say that
the outlook is a gloomy one ana believe
that the 20, 600 or more miners IN the
fourth anthracite district VIII, while,
not all striking, stay at home when the
order goes into effect on Monday.
USUAL QUOTA MINED.
Wilkesbarret, Pa Septem Der l4.-The
operators of the Wyoming valley report
tonight that the usual quota of coal was
mined today and that they expect no
decrease IN the output tomorrow. All
collieries were In operation today with
the exception of the Exeter mine of the
Lehigh valley company at Exeterborough.
The miners received their pay at noon
and they at once concluded to stop work.
THE GERMAN LOAN.
Berlin, September 14.-It is officially
announced by the board OF directors OF
the Disconto Gesellschaft that, with the
cooperation Of the German imperial bank
and through the intermediary of the
Disconto Gesellschaft ana Norddeussche
OF Hamburg and the NJ. Warburg OF
Hamburg, Kuhn, Loeb & Co., of New