The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1902-06-24
THE SUPPLY of COAL.
In Case of a General Strike it
Would Soon Be Exhausted.
There Are Approximately 100000 Min
ers in the Country, Scattered in 80
States-Twenty-Four States
Would Be Involved.

Indianapolis, Ind, June 21.-It is es.
timated by w. B. Wilson, secretary and
treasurer of the United Mine Workers
of America, that the present supply
of bituminous and anthracite coal
above ground would be exhausted in
less than three months, if there should
be a general suspension of work in the
mines. According to this estimate, if
the national convention of the mine
workers in Indianapolis July IL should
vote for general suspension Of work,
in support of the anthracite strike, as
is now proposed, the vast industrial
machinery of the United States would
be handicapped for fuel so that thou
sands of factories would have to sus,
pend work.
Wilson has statistics showing there
are approximately 100000 miners in
the country, scattered through 30
states. The miners of "a four states
would be actively involved if there
should be a suspension of operations.
In Idaho, Nevada, California, the Da-
kotas, North Carolina and two or three
other states brown coal, known as lig-
mite, is mined, but the organization
did not take these states into consider
alton when 1t issued a call Thursday
for the national convention.
There are now over 100000 members
of the mine workers organization. Mr..
Wilson says that nearly every non
union man would go out if a general
suspension Of work should be ordered.
During the first anthracite strike two
years ago there were only 5000 anthra-
cite men in the organization, yet over
125,000 went out.
The anthracite organization now IN
cludes $4,000 men; since the strike
was ordered few days ago the Vir-
ginia and West Virginia men have
been focking to the union
In Indiana 10000 men are employed
IN and about the mines. The Indiana
operators have short supply of coal
on hand Probably the largest supply
of coal is the bins at Buffalo, N. Y,
and in other cities along the great
lakes. Mr.. Wilson says it is impos-
sible to keep large supply Of bitum-
inous long, because of liability of loss
from spontaneous combustion.
Anthracite can be stored indefinitely
but the supply in the collieries is now
running short The bituminous mines
IN most localities are .-,ag worked at
capacity, but the supply is shorter
than usual
Canada has no coal on which this
country could draw If there should be
a general tie up. The British Isles
might supply part of the market. but
at a price that would be almost pro-
hibitive to the manufacturers and or
binary consumers. The tariff on i'm
ported coal is 60 cents ton more than
the miners receive as a rule for min
ing in the United States.
At the coming convention the belief
is that the competitive Obstructive
ern Pennsylvania, Indiana, Ohio and
Illinois-will take a stand against a
general strike. These states have
contracts that they do not want
to break The combined vote Of
the competitive district with that Of
Iowa is expected to prove strong
enough to prevent the success of the
proposition for a general strike.
There are number of states whose
agreements expire July 1 and it will
depend largely on the outcome of the
deliberations between their operators
and miners as to where the balance
Of power will lie in the convention.