The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-14
1900 MINERS ARE IDLE
ENGINEERS' STRIKE AFFECTS ALL
But THOUSAND DIGGERs.
May he settled SOon-No Danger of
Coal Famine-Late Movements
I'm the CLASS Workers War.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal
TERRE HAUTE, Ind, Nov. 13-Not more
than one thousand miners went to work
this morning, of the $500 IN the State. The
hosting engineers, of whom there are
about three hundred in the State, had been
informed by the executive board of their
new labor organization not to go to work
this morning unless they received notice
that the operators had yielded to the de-
mands for higher scale of wages and for
a scale year dating from Nov. /. The BIZ
luminous mines on the vandalia, east of
here, and most of those at Clinton, were
at work this morning because the engineers
did not go out, but the reports from all
other parts of the bituminous field, as well
as from the block field. which is confined
to Clay county, are that the mines are
idle. There are about $500 block miners
and 5000 bituminous miners in the State.
The significance of the strike is to be
found in the possible action of the miners
If the opera tors undertake TO start opera
tons with nonunion engineers. The Ma
ticnal Brotherhood of Coal Hosting En-
gineers started in Illinois a year ago and
signed it's first contract with the operators
of that State at that time. After the
interstate conference of operators and min
ers at Indianapolis last January the In
diana engineers were brought into the
brotherhood. Prior to that the Indiana
engineers had struck here and there, until
they received an advance in wages to SIS
a month, which was not less than 80 Is
per cent After the brotherhood got
foothold. and after the miners, through
the United Mine Workers, had signed the
wage-scale contract to run from April
for one year. the United Mine Workers are
said to have pledged their organization to
the engineers not to mine coal at mines
where a nonunion engineer was employed.
The operators say that they might as well
learn at once If the operators contract
can be nullified by third party's interests.
There is another reason back of the re-
fusal OF the operators to sign with the
engineers for year, beginning Nov. l.
IL was understood that committee from
the new organization of mine blacksmiths
was waiting for decision in favor of the
engineers to prefer their claims for new
scale. with perhaps another date for the
beginning OF the year, and following the
blackSInirhs were to come the firemen, also
newly organized. The operators say that
their coal Is sold on yearly contracts-that
is, that 50 per cent of the bituminous out
put and to per cent. of the block is sold for
a year n advance-and that it is neces-
sary to know how much it is to cost to
mine the coal for year. They are willing
TO sign with these new organizations, pro-
y.ding they agree on the price, if the
scale year is made concurrent with that of
the United Mine Workers.
In spite of these weighty objections, ten
OF the Indiana operators to-day signed
demanded by the engineers for one year,
thus making an early settlement possible.
The signing of the scale means an eight
hour day and 20 per cent. increase in
wages for the strikers. Eight of the opera
tors who signed the new wage scale to-day
operate mines in the Evansville district
The other two companies signing were the
owners of the White Ash mine at Hymera
and the Whitsett mines at Sullivan. There
is possibility of united action on the part
of the block and bituminous operators to
sign the scale at a conference to be held
the last of the week. but SO far no date
for meeting has been announced. All of
the mines in Indiana with the exception
of three or four were closed, and there
seems to be no inclination on the part of
the miners to go TO work until the hosting
engineers are granted their demands. Dis
trict President Van Horn, of the United
Mine Workers of America, said tonight
that the officials of that organization would
remain neutral. as the settlement of the
present difficulty is not within the jurisdic-
National President Mitchell, of the United
Mine Workers, telegraphed to-day asking
if the Indiana officials of the organization
had been consulted about the strike, and
Secretary Kennedy replied that they had
not been Secretary Kennedy says the
strike will bring the two organizations un-
der one jurisdiction, for which purpose eff
forts have been made in the past few
months He does not believe either can
enforce its scale when the contracts bear
different dates.
The operators say there is no danger
of coal famine by reason of the strike
because there is now big supply OF coal
OF the Indiana bituminous coal 20 per cent
goes to Chicago and the Northwest; per-
haps So per cent of the block goes to the
same markets. The Illinois coal can re-
place the Indiana, and if necessary the
West Virginia coal could be furnished
The suffering by the shortage of Indiana
coal would be practically confined to In
diana