The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-10-10
MINERS WILL CONTINUE FIGHT
AGAINST OPERATORS.
A REQUEST BY ROOSEVELT
President Asks Mitchell to Use His
influence for Resumption
Of Work.

Roosevelt. the coal operators and rep
r~esentatives of the anthracite coal
workers having been without result,
the strike leaders are now engaged
in tightening their lines and prepar.
ing themselves to combat any move
ment by the operators to break the
ranks of the strikers.
The first step in this direction was
taken yesterday when W. R. Russell,
president of District No. IL of the
Miners union, which comprises the
entire state Of Illinois, came here by
direction of Mr.. Mitchell for the pur.
purpose of devising relief measures
Mr.. Russell had a conference lasting
several hours with his chief and at
it's conclusion it was said that steps
would be taken at once to carry out a
plan by which the relief funds from
Illinois will be increased.
Mr.. Russell said that if it were
necessary to do so, the Illinois miners
stand ready to increase the assess
ment. He said they were taking a
great interest in the struggle and
would go deep into their own pockets
to help the Pennsylvania workers.
President Russell also said the soft
coal operators are also in sympathy
with the strikers in this state. He
said these operators believed the I'M
ion was a good thing to both the men
and the employers because since the
organization was recognized in the
western country conditions have i'm
proved.
While the Illinois district president
did not Va so, he intimated in his
conversation that some of the coal
operators in the west have shown
their sympathy with the hard coal
miners in a substantial way. When
he was asked the direct question he
declined to say anything about it.
The 10000 mine workers in Illinois
are now contributing to the Pennsyl-
vania strikers 10 cents on every ton
of coal mined by them. The boys
employed in that state, too, are Civ
ing up 10 cents a day. In addition to
this the Illinois miners are paying 1
cent per ton into their own general
defense fund.
Wilkesbarre, Oct. TN accordance
with the address issued by President
Mitchell last night calling upon all
local unions to meet and take a vote
on the question of remaining on strike,
the mine workers of the Prospect,
Oakdale and Milyale Coal colleries OF.
thegLehigh Coal company held a meet
clusion it was announced that the
men had unanimously decided to stay
out in a body until they had won
the strike. This is the first meeting
held in this anthracite field under the
instructions of President Mitchell.
The news of the calling out of the
entire national guard of the state did
not become generally known through
out this region until this morning.
1t did not cause any commotion or
surprise. The entire Wyoming val
ley, of which W~ilkesbarre is the cen
ter, vas extremely quiet this morning.
The situation, so far as the mining
of coal is concerned, remains absolute
ly unchanged. The quantity of coal
hoir0F chipnnd is uapv crool pn1
with the normal production. The coal
company officials and others who hold
the saTne views as the operators, pre-
dict that with military protection for
the men who want to work there will
be no trouble in getting a sufficient
number OF men to produce enough
coal to relieve the fuel famine.
The strikers, as a result of the gov
eronor's action, r even more firm
for holding out than they have been
at any time since the suspension of
work was inaugurated. The leaders
say they look upon the struggle now
as a general one of capital against
labor, and maintain that with the help
Of organized labor the country over
the miners can stay away from the
mines until the operators are CON-
PEELED through public opinion to yield
a point.
The borough council of Plymouth
at its meeting last night passed a res
o~lution, with one dissenting vote, pro-
testing against the presence of troops
in the borough. A battalion of the
Ninth regiment vas placed in that
community yesterday.
REQUEST BY ROOSEVELT.
President Asks Mitchell to Use His