Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-04-29
OF INTEREST
To WORKERS
Joint Meeting Of District
Executive Boards.
Labor Bills Held Up in the
State Senate --Important
Bill distinguishing of
MarkIe's EMPLOYEES.

The district executive boards of the
United Mine Workers OF the anthracite
region met at Hazleton on Saturday
The greater part Of the morning session
was devoted to = discussion OF the many
petty strikes which have occurred since
last October. Several suggestions were
made by which the strikes could be
remedied, but no definite action was
agreed upon.
At the afternoon session the question
OF the withdrawal Of the loader and fire
bosses from the union, in accordance
with an order recently issued by the
Reading Company, was brought up, but
rs the order effected only District No 0,
no action was taken in the matter.
Secretaries OF Districts Z and were
instructed to- issue circulars to the
various locals asking all contract and
company miners to refrain from cutting
coal, blasting rock, or doing any timber
Ing on days when the collisries are idle.
1t was decided that no coal shall be
loaded on idle days except by men en-
gagged in repairing aIrways and railways,
and no colliery shall work more than
ten hours day. The new order is to
become operative on May 6, and shall
affect all work done except slope and
shaft sinking and tunnell driving.
LABOR BILLS MAY NOT PASS.
The prospect OF the passage by the
senate of any OF the four anthracite
mine bills advocated by the United Mine
Workers Is not very reassuring. Tho
large operators are opposed to them and
have succeeded in tying them up 10 the
senate committee on mines and mining
since they passed the house month ago.
They have agreed to support the bills
on condition that the mine worker.
accept certain changes suggested by
Factory Inspector Campbell. The
miners insist that the bills pass without
a single change, and final effort will
be made at Wednesdays hearing to
effect compromise.
The bills provide for the election OF
mine inspectors by tho people instead of
having them appointed by the governor;
providing for the weighing OF coal and
Its pay ymsnt by weight instead OF by the
car; authorizing the miners to appoint
checkweighmen, whose duties will bo
similar to the checkweighmen In the
bituminous regions, and provide for the
weighing OF coal before it is screened
Attorney General Elkin has been
asked by the mine workers leaders to
help pass the bills, but he has declined
on the ground if they should become
laws ,he might be called upon to pass
upon their constitutionality.
IMPORTANT BILL MISSING.
Powerful corporations throughout the
state, are determined, II possible, to
prevent the passage of house bill No.
2l1. This bill passed the house, but
was lost" in transmission to the senate.
The measure would practically tax out
of existence the company stores, against
which labor organizations have for years
battled in vain. The present law on
this subject on the statute books is in
operative.
The bill was introduced In the house
by Representative Ferrebee, OF Schuyl-
Kill county, and places tax OF 25 per
cent upon ''all orders, checks, dividers,
coupons, pass books or other paper
representing wages or earnings of an
employe or member OF his family" In
other words when corporation issues
store order in lieu OF wages it must pay
to the state a tax of 25 per cent of the
amount for which it is given.
MEETING OF MARKLE's EMPLOYEES.
The union employees of G.. B. Markle
& Co. met Yesterday at the Grand opera
house. The Ebervale and other griev-
ances which threaten to cause trouble
were discussed, but none Of the business
transacted was given out for publication
1t is understood that the grievances
are on fair way of being settled.
Total Abstinence Movement.
An address on the benefits of total