New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-07-22
MINERS MAY LEAVE REGION
LEGISLATION THEN WILL BE THE OPER-
ATORS' ONLY HOPE FOR RESUAHNG.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUNE.I

workers, except the comparatively few old men
! who are unable TO do hard work, and who have
| been employed in cleaning up and as watchers.
! Since the strike began about forty-fve thousand
| adults have obtained work in other places, and
| the soft coal miners can find work in Western
| Pennsylvania, Ohio. Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,
Kentucky. Tennessee and other unionized States
| for fully fifty thousand more.
The following table expresses just what this
will mean:
Number adult workers who have left region since o,
Naaosr f5r whom, places can obtained w'tfin
Total NUMBER active adult workers al dine strike
began 20 00
Number Of otSer bows ' and old n ..., 2o0o0
Number other workers. bosses superintendent etc 5000
National Organizer Henry Collins, one Of the
| best informed men in the region, estimated to-
| day that all active workers will have positions
| found for them before September 10. They will
| be able to make good wages. The union will
| care for their families left here and allow none
| to suffer for want of food clothing or fuel. The
| forty thousand boys and old men can get small
jobs or be entirely dependent on the union, but
the local officers will endeavOr to get places for
| as many possible
The strikers believe that If work is found In
the soft coal region for the fifty thousand adult
| mine workers the operators will either be forced
| to grant the concessions demanded or abandon
| the mines, in which are invested S51looOOOO
They point to the fact that with all the certihed
| mine workers out Of the region IT will be abso-
| lutely impossible for the operators to work the
mines, even though they could import two nun
dred thousand men. The State law provides
that no man shall be allowed to mine coal I'M
less he has a certificate and to get certificate
it is necessary to have two years experience IN
the mines and pass examination.
This experience 1t is impossible for new men
to obtain and the operators are consequently
HELPLESS There would be only one thing for
them to do-have the act providing for certif-
Gated miners abolished; and all the labor men III
the State would fight that effort
This depopulation OF the region will materially
decrease the amount OF the strike fund required
at present and add to the available fund by
increasing the number of contributors If fifty
thousand men from here get work in the soft
coal regions it will mean $4,000 week more
to the strike fund as well as personal donations
sent home to their families. The question OF
assisting the families of the men who nave al
ready obtained work in other places Will be de-
cided when President Mitchell and the district
hoard members have a meeting to discuss the
conditions and formulate plans for the oIstrI-
button of the strike fund. They are expected
to return tomorrow night, and meeting VIII
probably be held on Wednesday, 1t is expected
that the first distribution OF the strike FUND TO
the locals will take place before the end or the
week The local officers now preparing lists
Of their members and those dependent upon
them The first distribution will be out OF the
lump sum donated by the different unions ahG
the collection OF the assessment Will begin with
the mine workers next pay, which falls on dlI-
ferent days in different States. but when Is
due this week in states "heTe the'e 10 d Sem
monthly pay law.
Renorts of the early resumption OF work are
stiu being made but the Mine Workers officials
say that it is impossible TO resume WORK as the
strikers ranks are nrmer now than ever anu
there is no Indication in any part OF the Ieelo'
of the men giving In. II any have felt the de-
sire 10 do so the relief fund resolution removed
the inclination. An indication OF how the miners
can hold out is found In the fact that the four
teen thousand men Of the Lehgh Valley region
stayed on strike for six months in loo'-oo on
less than $4,000 relief fund.
The district officers are receiving assurances
from the men OF all unioniZed crafts that thty
will give financial aid to the strikers
The Philadelphia and Reading ofhclals are
having telephones placed at all their collieries
and workings and In the homes or all their
bosses and officials 10 expedite operations when
II is decided TO start.
Members of the Central Labor unions IN the
anthracite district are discussing the adNlsaUli-
ity of taking advantage Of the miners strike
and the present agitation in labor circles TO
RIM candidates for the Legislature VINO snail De
nledged 10 work for the interest Of the working
men and have certain labor laws passed which
the unions shall propose.
The operators have little to say about the
INDIANAPOLIS convention and do not seem TO be
at all disturbed by the prospect OF the strike
fund making the strike last many weeks. super
intendent Rose, of the Delaware and Hudson.
says:
The relief fund will prolong the strike. of
course but not to any considerable extent Ac-
cordine 10 the leaders own calculations, the pro
posed fund will give each striker only -
week Men who have been earning ~ day
will not be long content with not much more
than twice that much a month.
Another superintendent said:
The anthracite miners were told that the call
ing out of the engineers, hremen and pump run
ners would bring the operators to their knees.
This terrible bolt was hurled against the com
panies and it proved boomerang. This was
| a big disappointment to the strikers. Next they
were led to believe that even more heroic meas
ures would be taken TO break down the oper-
ators' solid front-a general strike was to he
ordered After a month of this hope the strik-
ers were doomed to another disappointment.
The substitute plan of relief looks nice on paper,
but when il comes 10 put 1t into practice 1t VIII
be found to be still another disappointment.
When this third disappointment comes you can
look for a break. The strike leaders have played
their last card. 1t has no show of winning, and
when this is generally seen the rank and file
will cry quits. The termination of the strike
depends on how long il will take the rank and
file to see the impracticablty of supporting
half a million people by weekly subscription
LANDLORDS TO DISCUSS CONDITIONS
shamokin Penn. July PA call issued to-
day by of tenement houses to meet next
Thursday take action on the failure of large
number of tenants pay rent since the miners
started The owners that their losses