The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-07-13
CONDITIONS IN THE FIELD.
Miners officials Oppose General
Strike-ReIative Strength.

Special 10 the Indianapolis Journal.
WILKESBARRE, Pa, July 12-On Thurs
day, July Il, there will begin in Indian
apolis a convention of the United
Mine Workers of America TO discuss the
big strike In the anthracite region, and the
smaller difficulties in Michigan and Nir-
ginia In his call. President Mitchell says
the convention will consider the general
suspension of work by the coal miners in
support of the anthracite miners who are
now on strike" II may now be anticipated
that he will not favor any such drastic ana
far-reachlng effort at assistance. FOR puo-
lication he is non-committal, but II Is
known here that he believes in connning
the strike to the narrowest possible limits
and using the slow means of starving out
the hard coal market The operators on
the other hand, are committed 10 the
equally slow process Of starving out the
miners
There will be represented at the Indian
apolis convention upward Of 100000 union
mine workers, who are formed into twenty
five district organizations. The member
ship OF this big union extends TO sixteen
States and Territories, as follows: Penn
sylvania. West Virginia, Indiana, Illinois,
Iowa, Kansas, Colorado, Tennessee, Ala
bama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Michigan,
Ohio. Maryland. Indian Territory and
Missouri. The convention is a special one
and is a strike measure, forced on Presi-
dent Mitchell by the three anthracite dis
districts of Michigan and West Virginia.
In Michigan an agreement has been
reached between the miners and the
operators, but the date Of ratification, for
some reason, is set for after the convention.
The strike in West Virginia has not as
sumed any national Importance, and for
the time there are no indications that it
will prove troublesome. The main bust
ness before the big convention, at which
approximately on thousand delegates will
be present is to devise some means of as
.
come up in the form Of a pro-
posal for an individual assessment
OF two two dollars week on each
how much this would yield. if adopted.
When IL is stated that nearly four hundred
thousand miners will be represented it
members Of the union in good standing.
Probably the books will show that not
more than one-fifth of these are paid up to
GATE.
The records show that the Miners Union
is able to take care of men on strike for
long periods. The organization is now sup
plying provisions for $500 strikers in West
virginia. Over 100000 has been sent TO
the miners on strike in Hopkins county
Kentucky. They have been out for eighteen
months. There are 5000 men in Missouri
who have been on strike for nearly two
years, and ii is reported that nearly 100000
has been sent to these.
The value of the hard coal at the mouth
of the mine is S59O00OOO a wear This is a
little over million dollars week, which
represents the temporary loss to the an
thracite region. The miners struck on May
r. and since then other employees of the
mines struck, making a total of perhaps
l4I,eO Since then a few have returned to
work AT present there are not more than
1000 or 5000 men at work in the entire dis
trlct, and less than 500 tons a week are
being mined. A few more tons from what
are known as the washeries make the total
output. These figures are given to show
how complete is the tie-up in the anthra-
cite districts.
In looking for the end or settlement one
naturally compares with the strike of two
years ago. Then was begun what is now
In progress. That is, the operators were
trying TO force the men into submission
and the men were trying to starve the mar
kets. Chairman Hanna, of the Republican
national committee, stepped in and ended
the strike. There was no test of strength.
Therefore the strike of two years ago is
OF no special value for purposes OF COM
parson.
Hard coal is the fuel of luxury. 1t is re-
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6, COL. 4)