The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-08
MINERS BOARD TODAY
FIRST CONFEDERATION or MATTERS
OF IMPORTANCE.
Miles Dougherty Outlines the Situn-
ton i'm the Anthracite Field
BOOthIacks Meet.

The executive board of the United Mine
Workers did not take up the important
matters before il yesterday on account
of small strike in Pennsylvania which
required the attention of the officers The
board viii convene this morning and at
once get down to business The indica-
tons are that the anthracite situation will
be made paramount in the conference.
Miles DOugherty, board member from
one of the anthracite districts, said last
night: I'VE are not looking for a fight
and hope that there will be none. yet we
are ready If it comes. We could tie up
every mine in the anthracite field if a
strike should come. and at the order to
quit every tool will be dropped. There are
900 miners in the field, members of the
organization, and they will stand together
A strike in the anthracite field would mean
a bitter struggle, a struggle to the end
and the miners do not want it. They
know that If * should be lost they would
again be placed in bondage, as they have
been. They have well considered the sit
uation and would only strike as a last
resort
The anthracite miners are not demand
ing an increase in wages. They ask to weigh
the coal and for an eight-hour day. They
now work ten hours a day. The scale of
wages differs in certain districts, ranging
from IS to $40 a week for the same amount
OF work and they request an equalization
that will establish uniform price The re-
quest for Joint conference with the OPP
orators is also to gain recognition of the
union in order that these differences might
field.
Some of the conditions in the anthracite
field have never been exposed" said Mr.
Dougherty, and L really believe that if the
heads of the companies and the men who
nave their capital invested knew Of these
conditions they would put a stop to many
OF the almost inhuman practices A Joint
conference is the only method we have of
reaching these men. when facts can be laid
before them and the miners may be given
a hearing
1.-The situation with the miners at this
time is entirely different in respect to their
organization from what it has been. They
now have faith in the union and the high
est respect for President Mitchell. The an
thracite miners have been organized be-
fore, but by using diplomacy the operators
were successful in getting Thorn to quarrel
among themselves and spread dissensions
among the ranks. 1t is not so now. The
officers In the field have been very careful
TO guard against this, and the men have
been warned to avoid any complications
that might discourage unanimous action"
In speaking of the pending action of the
board, he said the anthracite miners place
much faith in the ability of the Civic Fed
Grafton to settle the difficulty, but, at the
same time, they do not place entire reliance
upon il because it is new institution and
has never been tried. However, they are
willing to give il a test, and if the result
is satisfactory the miners will give ii credit
for being the great movement intended in
its organization.
The situation in Virginia and West Vir-
ginia is such that 1t will not likely be
subordinated to that in the anthracite
field. The bituminouS coal field of central
Pennsylvania also seems to be candidate
for a strike, but the two together are not
considered serious hindrances to a suspen-
sion of work in the anthracite field be-
cause of the fact that it will call out sew
eral thousand more men. One point in IA
vor of a strike in these two fields is that it
would affect the coal-carrying railroads
that backing the anthracite miners,
and it might really be a benefit to the