Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1902-10-02
+ COAL. !. I.
-- Rs4
Is the important
Subject.
It Means More Than
Any Other
As the Situation In New York
Grows Worse.

what was called coal, though at least
quarter of 1t was shalc or slate or
other impurity, were dumped yester-
day upon the sidewalk before the base
ment of doors of one of the prominent
corporations in this city, The pres
ident of the corporation, looking half
ruefuly, half-jndgnantly at this heap,
said. fn
.''That cost 500. 1t would have
been dear last spring at y$15, but 1t is
the best that we could, do. Stringent
money, the politics now going on at
Saratoga. or the question whether
Governor Odell or Senator Plat is the
Republican leader, yes, even the trust
agitation begun by President Roose-
welt, and the opposition to him and to
his agitation, which some Of the great
trust promoters are urgingL4not one of
these or all of them together compare
in Importance with the anthracite
coal problem"
| This seems like an exaggeration,
| the utterance of an irritated man who
has been compelled to pay more for
something than it is worth. 1t really
| understates, however, rather than ex-
aggerates, the. feeling in this city.
In the lac spring the anthracite coal
miners strike was referred to hert
as distant, vague, and momentarily
interesting incident Of no particular
consequence to New York, no more
than little friction between the min
ers and the operators In the summer
no other proof than the strike was
still in force was offered to this city
than that furnished by the heavy
smoke from manufactory chimneys,
showing the use of bituminous coal
And so it was said that New York
was in no danger, the strike might
last little longer, but no others would
be harmed than the miners, who were
compelled to contemplate the loss, Of
wages for the time they chose to stay
in idleness.
Suddenly in New York and along the
whole Atlantic slope, where the use of
antracite has been the rule, and where,
excepting from the railway locomo-
tive smokestacks, no black smoke is
seen, there is realization that the
authority of the operators and the
grim obstinacy or perslstency Of the
miners have produced a condition un-
precedented. They have brought the
Atlantic coast, at least that part of
it dependent upon anthracite face to
face with coal famine. When coal
is $50 ton the price is prohibitive
to large number Of householders.
For manufacturers, who are compelled
to use it, the price means il continued
larger charge for the product of the
manufactures.
The situation as 1t has been revealed
within two or three days equals in
the interest and apprehension it occa-
sions the stringency in the money
market. Doubtless, In all of the ten
ement districts of this city 1t is today
a matter of far more consequence than
Tammany's supremacy OF Hills au.
thority or the struggle that Devery is
making to win supreme leadership
in the Tammany organization.
The flnanciers of Wall street find
themselves unable to make any pre-.
diction as to the effect financially of
a continuation of this strike. No
longer have they confidence In the
statement often made during the late
summer and early fail that the an
thracite miners union was disintegrat-
ed, that the miners, or majority of
them, would be glad to return to work
if they felt that they were secure and
that their families would not be assail-
ed. Pennsylvania has troops in the
field, and it is mystery here why,
in view of the presence of the militia.
the miners do not return to work If
they are as restless and so completely
out of patience with the strike as they
have been represented to be.
In New York there Is new view |
taken of the situation in the anthracite |
region. There is suspicion that the |
union is stronger than the operators
have represented 1t to be. that some
thing pride, courage, obstinancy, or
whatever 1t may be called-is holding
these workingmen together with firmer
bonds than organizations Of like char
acter that have been engaged lin
strikes elsewhere have been held to-
gether. i srA
The question is, how long this grim
persistency will be able to endure
% i