New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-09-02
PENNSYLVANIA'S ANXIETY
CONDITIONS DRIFTING TOWARD GREAT
COAL MINERS STRIKE.
LITTLE EFFORT AT AvERTING THE CATAs-
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF MINERS
AND OPERATORS


AND OPERATORS.
Fazleton. Penn, Sept. CSpeciaD.-The time in
tervening between and the date set for
strike of the miners in the great anthracite coai
regions OF Eastern Pennsylvania. unless the opera
tors meet with their demands is fraught with the
greatest anxiety the people Of half dozen
counties The United Mine Workers nave given
the coal operators until Saturday. september 9,
IN which TO grant their demands as fornulapeu
nv a committee After that the National Executive
Board of the order is to declare strike inns
Board meets in Indianapolis next Thursday wheh
the application of the miners for permission 70 81
ont will be acted upon provided existing conoltohs
are not remedied to their satisfaction. John
Mitchell president of the United Mine workers
is president Of this Board and by many II Is taken
as an accepted fact that strike VIII De olueIeu'
hut to-day this is not altogether certain II Is
Imminent but there are clements at work whlch
NAV defeat the aims of those who would bring
great disaster on the hard coal district
In the first place public sentiment as represented
nv the newspapers. the pulpit and bodies OF nusl-
,ase men is against il. This has somewhat diVio-
ed the ranks of those who are bent on striking In
the second place the miners are not altogether
unanimous as TO whether striking Is the pest
means to secure redress for all their wrongs ms
IS especially true of those in the lower or Schuy
kill region where the men appear better satsneo
and have steadier work. Here, too, they are not
as thoroughly organized and this division IN their
own ranks may be the turning point that VIII
cause those at the head Of affairs to pause before
they order men away from their work when they
want continue.
THE PROSPECT DREADED.
Those who have the results Of previous
strikes regard the coming trouble with d prosPec.
OF horror 1t Is a fact that there is great unrest
IN the anthracite regions-in fact, more than for
gears-but there is still large and conservative
element that believes that clash can be aVerteo
by compromise Very little has been attempted IN
this direction, and 1t IS the confident opinion OF
many that both sides yet be brought together
though the operators did refuse to meet the miners
delegates a few days ago, which action mas pre-
cipitated, if not aggravated the present ollculy
One feature has up to this time been oVerIookeu-
This is the part that the soft coal miners OF
Western Pennsylvania. West Virginia, ONO ana
ozher States would play. They are thoroughly or
eanized and the threat has been freely MADE that
IL necessary for the anthracite miners 10 VIII teI
brethren In the West would be called out, also,
especially II the soft coal operators should at
tempt to fill orders that otherwise would go TO
the hard coal district. This would be serious
matter when ii is considered how much Europe
depends on the United States for her soft coal
IN addition, ii might disturb market for Amer
iea's bituminous coal which has only been created
during the last year.
As TO the intention of the leaders in this respect
mere are President AIitchelrs words: in case
we are compelled by the force Of circumstances,
we shall be backed by the American Federaflon OF
Labor and by all organized workmen II II De-
homes necessary. we shall, so far as 1t lies IN
pur power call out the miners Of bitumInous coal,
20 keep that class of fuel out Of this region
simply trembIe when think Of the dreadful pos
abilities attending the uprising Of such large
humber of men, composed Of many nationalities.
we are not seeking trouble and Will do all we
can TO avert II. If the operators refuse to treat
with US the responsibility rests with them and not
US"
NO EFFORT TO CONCILIATE.
The drift OF present events is toward a strike.
because nothing has been done to bring the con-
alan ants hpF
the operators what they want, and the latter have
refused to meet the representatives Of their en-
ployes. The operators are particularly bitter
against the agitators who come from the Middle
West and have organized the men. Some declare
that they are in the pay Of the owners Of the
-bitumlnous mines. These charges are frequently
made in general way. but meyer specifically sa
the principal workers n the a9thra5ite regions
.T6ey made good wages-sometines sI25 a month
and over. The employment was considered more
were more interested in the welfare Of their men;
neS NV ipdtvinaIs who operated them to their
fullest caPacity at full time Paid goo wages ana ANA
before great combinations The operators paid the
railroads SO much ton to carry the coal TO mar
Then the corporations gained a foothoId- Indi-
iduals were forced out, and their properties pur-
chased. Mammoth coal companies were organized
critics and coal lands covering thousands Of acres
were purchased just TO keep some one else from
serest charges which had TO be made up by putting
Companies curtaiied production. but it forced W
the figures for anthracite, with the result that
soft coal gradually invaded its field, especially fol
manufacturing purposes.
BITUMINOUS COAL GAINING.
Bituminous coal stands in great favor with man
ufacturers. ton makes steam than the
same quantity of anthracite, and IT is a great dea
cheaper. year ago it brought to Eastern
Pennsylvania points at s. 50 The price has
since risen g 40 and 81 so. but there are still
lots Of industries which II and $50 to So
day in their coal bills The. shortsighted policy
Of the operators OF anthracite mines has limited
the product 10 domestic uses, and even in this re-
spect gas stoves are a competitor. The miners are
suffering from the company store excessive
charges for supplies. short time at the mines, and
a host of other evils which they ask their en-
pIoyers to remedy, in addition to a substantial ad
vance IN wages Some Of their best have lef
the region for good and their places have beer
other nationalities, who exist smaller
wages than those paid years ago. when there waG
steady work all the year round. Now a miner does
well IL with steady work he makes SO a week
Full time being impossible, he earns most of the
year from 81 TO SO a week Sometimes for months
at a time the miners work three three-duartel
days a week. The operators making more
money than ever, because they are now getting
the highest price for coal in the entire history Of
anthracite. The men are not getting their share
OF the profits.
THE OPERATORS GRIEVANCES.
The operators too, have their grievances, but
they do not seek redress. do the miners. They
say that the miners have always been a discon
tented set They made by the nature Of
their work. They would not to be employed
ak days week. even If they had chance. They
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