The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-07-25
Friday, July Is, 1902.
THE BIG COAL STRIKE.

The strike of the Pennsylvania coal
miners seems to be progressing salts
factorily for the coal mine owners. The
general convention Of a miners has
decided to raise a half million dollars
a week from those miners who are at
work in other coal fields for support
OF the strikers. This, Of course, will
insure the continuance of the strike
Indefinitely, which means until the
operators wish 1t to end, and the the
differences between employer and en-
ployee will be quickly settled. Mr..
Mitchell will declare the strike off and
the miners Will return to work.
IN the meantime the coal operators
will have added thousands upon thous-
amos of dollars to their bank accounts
and he consumers Of coal will be out
OF pocket just that much money, and
he miners who have contributed to the
support of their fellow workmen dur
ing their idleness will have added a
million dollars or more to the profits
of the mine oWners.
The only persons she have suffered
~ ShAS SS1hC 4 the COllSuillcIS Ol coal
and those miners who. while remain
ing at work. are assessed a hall mil
lion dollars a week for the support of
the strikers. The strikers have lost
nothing; they have been supported in
dleness by others who r&nained at
work, and the Goa men have taken adj
vantage of the strike as an excuse to
greatly advance ne price of coal We
publish elsewhere a statement from a
kinsto2, Y. c., newspaper that the
prize Il that own has advanced five
dollars 4 ton since this strike began.
If the is not an end put to these
strikes engineered for the benefit of the
milliOnaires of the country we will
have 10 adopt compulsory arbitration
OF labor troubles, as is contemplated
III Canada. That government has al
ready determined to adopt this remedy
for disputes between labor and capi-
tai The legislation for this L
VIII not be enacted for a year; but in
the meantime a campaign OF education
on the subject Will be carried on and at
the end Of that time the principle will
be enforced by statute, the substance
of which will be as follows:
"There are TO be seven boards of
arbitration, one for each province, and
each ito be composed of three men,
beers. There will be a general board
also, having jurisdiction OF the entire
Dominion. In this there are to be five
members, to be chosen severally by the
railway corporations, the railway en-
ployes and the government. The arbi-
fration awards are not to be subject
TO review, amendment or annulment
by any Of the courts. Heavy penalties
are provided against lock-outs, and
men who strike are liable to be fined
double the wages hat they would have
earned if they had remained at work.
The greatest obstacle to the success
of this plan will be the inability of the
arbitration boards to force the striking
laborers to return TO work under their
tulings in settlement OF the disputes
and differences with the employers.
These boards can enforce their DEGREES
against the corporations, but not
against the latters' employees; but
this condition will not be likely to arise
in cases where the strike is forced up
on the workmen by the companies for
IN latters' benefit. Whether the plan
will succeed or not, we want to see it
tried. Something must be done to put
a stop TO this absolute control of labor
and output OF products by large cor
porations for the purpose of increas-
ing or cutting short the supply, without
regard TO the demand, in order to raise
or lower prices just as they desire. No
better plan than the above has been
suggested and it should be given a fair
frial