The evening times., 1900-04-09
COAL MINERS STRIKE.
Cumberland Employees Numbering
Twelve Hundred Quit Work.

CUMBERLAND. Md. April 9-Twelve
hundred miners in the employ of the Con-
solidated Coal Company went on strike
Saturday midnight. The following circu-
lSr issued by the miners committee or
aering the strike is self-explanatory
To all the Employes OF the Consolidated Coal
Company:
over one hundred OF our fellow craftsmen have
been discharged and suspended by Supt. b. :
Randolph for attending the mas meeting in To-
naC0Hing SATURDAY, March 81. At our meetings
held at Midland and Frostburg a committee was
selected composed OF Thomas McConEell otto
WinlIer, Messenger Wade, David Pew and Dis
trict President Allan Barber Secretary Treasurer
William CochraEe and National Organizer Will
lam Warner. to appeal to Supt. Randolph for the
reinstatement OF our brothers.
Supt. Randolph frankly admitted 10 your CON-
mittee that the only cause for this Wholesale dis
charge and suspension va, the general attepdlu,r
OF his employees at LonaceaiHg March 81 Hc
FATTY refused to consider the question Of rein
statement; furthermore. he asserted that more
would be discharged ard suspended lie declared
that be wanted i strike and preferred to have il
at once
Fellow -,yorkrnen, if you permit such acticn to
60 unchallenged. you will have forfeited all your
personal Liberties and your sacred privileges As
American citizens. Therefore. BY the authority
given Us by Yourselves we hereby declare that
You shall suspend work at IL O'Clock tonight.
April :.
Alan Barber. district president: William Cocl,-
raHe. secretary treasurer; William Warner ma
tional organizer, United MiHc-Workcrs Of Ameri-
Business men generally think the sit
uation has not been handled dplomatical-
ly and some openly aver that the coal
companies do not seem to care whether
there is strike or not. Some say d strike
would be an excuse for the installation of
machines for mining. One of the reasons
given for Mr.. Randolph's refusal to con-
fer with the miners committee was that
not one miner working for his company
was member of the committee. The
miners of the other companies it is eX-
pected, will keep at work until Tuesday
evening at least. or until after the meet
ing in Cumberland on that day when the
miners have asked to meet the operators.
The present trouble is deeply deplored,
as strike would have deadening effect
on all business. Merchants, railroad men.
and canal men would suffer, to say moth
ing OF the strikers themselves and those
dependent upon their labor This year
promised to be the most prosperous in the
coal industry. and there is particularly
strong demand for Georges Creek coal all
the world over. The tonnage for Febru-
airy and March is reported larger than
ever before. Enquiries by foreign coun-
tries IN America Tor coal are said to be
largely due TO the high price of British
coal. The demand from points along the
Atlantic seaboard is still larger than the
supply. Orders from outside buyers are
turned down frequently. State Mine In
spector Paul of West Virginia, says that
in his State never has there been such ac-
tivity in mining or so large an output of
coal and coke. In every field in the State
new mines are being opened except in
the Flat Top field, where they are al
ready so close that there is no room for
more 1t is Believed that within the next
two years West Virginia will rank next
TO Pennsylvania. which heads the coal
producing States.