The evening times., 1900-03-26
THE CUMBERLAND MINERS.
status of the strike and the Mems
Demands.

CUMBERLAND Md, March 26-The
Meyersiale miners claim their present
/ strike is not district matter, but purely
a local one TO redress what they consider
/ a local grievance They struck in 1892 and
went back TO work for less rate than be-
! fore the trouble At that time the Mey-
ersdale operators paid 10 cents more ton
I to get their coal TO tidewater than the
! Georges Greek operators. Business was
/ then disorganized in the Meyersdale re-
/ gion. orders came in slowly. and the min
/ ers- made only poor living. averaging
/ about half time. The 10 cents tax on haul
! ing caused much trouble and the railroad
/ company dropped cents. This did hot
! result sin much OF a betterment and the
railroad company eventually dropped the
other > cents, making the rate equal With
that Of the Georges Greek. Ii was dis
| tinctly specified. ii is claimed. that ;he re-
duction was made to assist the operators
in regaining lost orders and TO give their
men work, and were it TO be used for
any other purpose the concession would
become void.
The men themselves seem to recognize
this" says a statement issued By the min
ers, as their demand is for the 5-cent ad-
vance only which in addition TO the gen.
eral advance April l Of 10 cents promised
by the operators Of the district. would
make the price paid for pick mining in this
district - cents. II things stand as they
do now April l next the rate in the
Georges Greek region would be % cents
and in the Meyersdale field 80 cents. The
men insist that as the haulage from both
regions is he same the pay should be the
same. Hence they demand the first o
cents given by the railroad company
should be added to their pay thus making
the rate - cents a ton. or the same as
Georges Greek. They demand this as a
matter of justice. They insist they are
right. and have gone into the bitterness
and loss of a strike TO win that which they
honestly and firmly believe TO be theirs"
The men also say mining is more diff
cult in the MEyersdale region, as the coal
is harder and he miners have to use pow
der, which is an additional expense. They
complain they are allowed no check weigh
man and are obliged TO hump" cars. for
which they receive no pay. They deny the
recent statement of an operator residing
In Baltimore that SOME miners make S100
a month, and say 1T is not possible Cor
good miner TO make more than from $45
to S47 gross per month at the 40-cent rate.
Then from this must be deducted powder,
oil smthing. and sharpening Of tools"
Great preparations are being mad.> for
the demonstration by miners at Lonacon-
ing next Saturday, Ostensibly TO celebrate
the anniversary of the acceptance of the
eight hour movement in some sections.
but. it is believed. for the greater purpose
of stirring up enthusiasm in behalf Of the
demand in last weeks circular of cents
additional making the rate so cents. The
organization leaders expect the operators
to ignore the demand. The meeting will
be held in the open air If the weather will
permit 1t is hoped to have the miners a.
nally determine their course at this meet
ing. Some OF the miners are opposed to
preciptating the strike and the executive
board of the organization is not working in
unison. Some contend the Georges Creek |
representatives were not rightly treated at |
the Altoona convention and that the Clear |
field region is urging the Georges Creek |
miners to strike TO reap an advantage. as |
they have done in years past