The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-08-05

L
Strikers-District President Mich
oils Claims There Are No Union
Men Working at the Oxford and
Cayuga-other Strike News.
No new collieries or washeries start
| ed up, yesterday, contrary to expccta-
| tions. 1t was announced on Saturday
that the Woodward at Kingston would
| resume operations, yesterday morning,
| but the effort was not made. Inquiry
at the company's office elected only
the statement that 1t was not definitely
known what day the start would be
made.
Frederick Warnke had fifty mes en-
| gagged to operate his washery at Dur
yea, but only five Of them showed UP
| for work. Some of the others sent word
| that they were afraid to work in Dur
yea on account of the bad name the
place bears. Even the men employed
| at the Warnke washery as watchmen
are deserting through fear. Mr..
Warnke and members Of his family
are compelled now to take turns at as
sisting the watchmen still on duty.
The oxford and Cayuga continue to
work, and according to the claims of
| the respective companies the forces at
each place are augmented daily by de-
sertions from the strikers ranks
District President Nichols claims
! there are no strikers back at work in
| these places. The claim is made in a
lengthy statement issued yesterday.
President Nichols statement follows:
NICHOLAS STATEMENT.
Notwithstanding statements appearing
| in the press coming from officials of va
rious coal companies, to the effect that
| they will not make any effort to start
| their collcres until the miners apply for
| their work again; we are daily notified
| that the local mine officials or agents are
very actively engaged in trying to per-
suade the men to return to work.
| The effort made to cause dissatisfaction
| by fallacious arguments concerning the
| distribution of relief has been a COM
| plete failure; and we now fear no efli
results from that source.
The miners decided that it will be safer
| to accept the plan of distribution as sub
h mitted by President Mitchell. than the
equal distribution plan as suggested by
some of the officials of the coal corpora
| tiOns. They reasoned that President
| Mitchell would naturally plan to use the
| funds that the expenditure would bring
victory; while they also reasoned that
| the operators plans would just as natur-
| ally be to have the money so expended
| that it would weaken instead of strength
ening the strike and eventually break it,
as they did in a similar instance some
| years ago, when they were successful in
getting the men quarrelnG among them.
selves.
dc 70 1,lx- +
| ticient to meet the actual necessities
While the number of those in need will
naturally increase as time goes on; the
| increase in the amounts received. which
| will commence with the beginning of next
week, when the assessment levied on the
bituninous miners will be forwarded to
the national office. This. together with
the aid we expect from the other lapor
| organizations and sympathizers, will so
| increase our fund as to enable us to meet
| the increased demands for aid
We also expect 4 continual exodus OF
mine workers to other fields, which will
| also strengthen our position. Each miner
| is trying to fortify himself and family
| for the winter If necessary by getting
work, which will make him independent
| and we do not expect after time to
| have any more remaining than the old
men and Il few who may be unable to
obtain work.
NOT EX-STRIKERS.
| While it has been reported far and
near that the Oxford and Cayuga collier
! les are in operation, the facts are, accord
| ing to reports received at this office from
| our local officers, that none OF our miners
are working at these places and that
| only coal which was loaded before the
! strike and left in the mine cars is the
greatest portion if not all the coal that
is hnrp hnisfpI n
| operators only hope at this time is the
moral effect on our members of seeing Il
| colliery in operation They hope this will
| discourage them. The miners, however,
| know that a half dozen miners at any
| or each collicry cannot fill the places or
do the work of the hundreds of men
usually employed, and are not discour-
| aged thereby.
| The beginning of the thirteenth week of
| the strike finds the men more steadfast
| and determined than ever, and with in
| creased strength to continue the strug~
| gle for the substitution of an honest sys-
tom for corrupt system of employment;
| the old system has destroyed all conf
| dence between employer and cmploye.
When the price of iron or steel in
creases the railroad officials do not close
down the railroads and refuse to pay
| the price; but just as soon as men de-
mand just system of employed and in
creased wage they close down their mines
and fight the demands with all the power
| they control, and with bitterness of spirit
| Should not the demands of man he at
| least worthy of as much consideration as
the demands of Il piece of iron? | hope
| the operators will pay the increase de-
manded by the miners; / would like to
see them pay, because they realize the
| justice of the demands, but If not then
| for the same reason that they pay the
! price demanded for iron and steel: l. e.
| because they cannot get the service of
the men unless they pay the propert
value demanded, II, ID. Nichols.
Miners continue to leave for other
coal fields daily. A large party starts
this morning at $50 o'clock for Hunt
ington.
A strikers mass meeting took place
yesterday afternoon at Archibald. 1t
was addressed by President Nichols
and others.
Local No. 637, United Mine Workers,
will meet Thursday afternoon in CO.
operative hall. The meeting will be
called promptly at o'clock.
a mass meeting of the North Scran-
n IT.