Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1902-06-21

Sill w Ork1nS Tor Peace.
This Is the sixth week of the great
coal strike in the anthracite districts Of
pennsylvania, and a solution Of the diff
Guilty, which is daily affecting larger
number Of people, apparently is as far off
as ever. Already the strike has cost
the mine owners, miners, business men
OF the anthracite region and the public
generally the vast sum Of 1900, 900.
Inc operators still remain unmoved and
unbend1ng. The strikers remain hopeful
and determined. The public suffers, with
the prospects growing greater each day
that their sufferings will become more in
tense and more disastrous.
The magnates have over half a billion
dollars invested in their mines, and yet
many Of these mines are being flooded
and ruined because, while willing to pay
the wages of 1000 coal and iron police,
to protect the non-union men they are
assembling in the coal regions. the op-
orators will not grant the increase asked
by the miners. Hence the negotiations
brought about by the National Civic Fed
| Grafton were broken off and the country
Is forced to witness a struggle, the end
OF which may mean ruin to many indus
tries and to millions of people.
The situation now may be briefly sum-
med up: Every mine of any consequence
in the coal regions is tied up. Many Of
| them are being allowed to fill with water
and men cannot be obtained to pump
them. At others clerks, bosses and non
union men are trying to run the pumps
| and over these a force Of 1000 iron and
coal police are keeping guard. The Penn
| sylvania law makes easy the formation
Of this private army. By it mine owners
60 to the big cities, hire buns, ex-con-
victs, discharged policemen, drunken
sailors, the riffraff Of the streets and the
| lodging houses, and bring them to their
mines. The operators put badges on
them, place weapons in their hands, ana
| thus the local and iron police" are ere
ated.
The fight now seems to be a waiting
one, victory to belong to the side which
can hold out the longest. On the face
of 1t, it would seem as though under
such circumstances the strikers would
| lose. But appearances sometimes de-
ceive. The strikers are united, firm and
! determined. They can live on little. They
have the sympathy Of the business inter
| ests throughout the anthracite region.
| They will have the material aid, when
| asked for, if organized labor everywhere.
| Fully $4,000 of them have left the coal
fields since the strike began and have
found work in other occupations, thus en-
| abling the union leaders to better care
| for those who remain.
| On the other hand the cessation of work
means a loss to the coal carrying and
| coal mining roads of $10,O00,O0O q
month. This is considerable item even
in an age like this, when men talk in
millions. Perhaps the roads after an;
other month may come to consider this.
| The miners seem determined to remain
out until they win. For the union it is
not now q mere fight for 5 per cent; It
| is a fight for the future and fight for
| their existence. Stubborn as are the
| operators, the miners are equally reso-
lutte. With their own resources they feel
confident that they can remain out four
| months.
Meantime new element has entered
the situation-the soft coal strike in the
two Virginias, where nearly 10000 men
are idle because Of the refusal of the
bituminous operators to grant an increase
in wages. If this strike succeeds; II
President Mitchell and the other leaders
in the United Mine Workers Union sue
coed In cutting off the supply of soft coal
to the eastern markets, thereby forcing
the shutting down Of mills and factories
and railroads, they feel confident that
enough influence will be brought to bear
| upon the operators to compel them to
make such concessions as will end both
strikes The two Virginias mine 4,OOO,-
coo tons of coal monthly, and this, with
the output Of the soft coal regions Of this
State, supplies most Of the eastern trade.
By cutting this off, the industries Of the
East would be paralyzed. But such
pressure would be brought to bear upon
the operators that q settlement could not
long be deferred
All hopes for settlement Of the trou-
BILE have not, however, been abandoned.
| Under instructions from President .Roose-
Welt an investigation into the whole mat
ter Is being conducted by Carroll d.
Wright, United States Commissioner Of
Labor 1t should, however, be stated
that Mr.. Wright is not clothed with the
| Jurisdiction of an arbitrator, nor can Mr..
Roosevelt take any official action. The
President, however, can informally seek
relief from the present situation and he
Is now employing every resource In his
power.
Meantime President Mitchell holds in
abeyance the call for national conven-
ton of all coal miners, in which the Ques-
ton of q national strike is to come up.