The Indianapolis journal., 1903-03-13
STRIKE AND LABOR NOTES.
What Organized WOrkingmen Are Do
ing I'm All Parts of the Country.


Francis ]. Mckay, business representa-
says that between 5000 and 5000 men are
out. This includes the men i'm the Brook
lyn, Staten island and New Jersey yards
Three hundred men are idle at Packer
No colliery Of the Lehigh Coal Company.
near Mahanoy City, Pa, owing to a strike
of the drivers because of an order recurring
them TO wash the mules before stabling
them at night.
Differences between foundrymen and
molders, who have been on strike at Cleve-
land for several months, were settled
Thursday. The men demanded So for a
nine-hour day, and they will receive Sc for
ten-hour day.
Twenty representatives of the United
Mine Workers are now i'm the New. river
coal fields of West Virginia organizing the
miners. and II is authoritauvely stated
that general strike will be ordered in
side of sixty days.
The bi-monthly settlement of the Amalga-
mated wage scale governing the puddlers
and fnishers was made Thursday at the
onx offiee g, OF xaA the american Steel Hoop Com
scale for March and April was made.
The miners and operators met in joint
conference at Altoona, Pa, Thursday to
consider the scale. The miners presented
their scale, asked for 20 per cent in
crease and 10 cents differential between
pick and machine mining. Forty coal-min-
Ing firms are represented by the operators
The two thousand miners of the Massil-
lon (OO district have decided to strike on
April 1. The decision came as a result of
joint conference between the miners and
operators which split on the demand of
the miners that a four-foot standard vein
Of coal be established. The operators re-
fused to accede to the demand.
The Amalgamated Sheet and Iron Work.
ers of Shamokin met on Thursday and set
out demand to their employers that they
want nine-hour work day, an increase
OF 10 per cent. and time and half for over
time by April /. They at present receive
81 day and an allowance for overtime.
The men say they will go on strike If
their demands are not granted.
John Mitchell, national president of the
United Mine Workers. will visit Colorado
In short time and arrange for placing the
New Mexico and Utah under its own juris-
diction. 1t is planned to spend from Sc, 600
to 10000 in the district by sending capable
organizers among the $4,000 miners in the
district and building up the local unions.
The mine operators and coal miners of
western Kentucky, In conference TO fix the
scale seal for this year; could not agree Thurs
vile March "a. The miners handed in an
ultimatum that they will not work at the
present scale, and il their demands are not
granted at the adjourned meeting every
mine in western Kentucky will close down
April 1.
The strike of the sheet metal workers at
Chicago has been indorsed by the advisory
board of the Building Trades Council. This
Is said to mean that general strike, in
cluding members Of thirty building crafts,
will be called where nonunion men, or mem
bers OF rival metal workers unions. are
advisory board the International Sheet
metal Workers are charged with conspiring
with the Sheet-metal Manufacturers Asso-
citation to break UP the rival union.
Over forty labor unions at Spokane.
Wash. are voting on the proposition to
join in a sympathetic strike on March
%. The carrying out of the proposition
will throw out of employment between 1900
thus far voting have decided in favor of
the strike. The trouble began months ago
by strike of the employees of the Spokane
Falls Gas Light Company upon the refusal
to pay union wages or to recognize the
union. A boycott was declared against the
company which has been running with nom
union labor.
The e. Bronx Manufacturing Company.
manufacturers of shirts. which has a con-
tract with the State of Michigan for the
services of go convicts at the Jackson
prison for 35 cents day. has served notice
that at the expiration of the six months
notice specified therein IL would cancel its
contract. which has two years to run. The
largest employer of convict labor. the
Wilmington & Cooley Company, has been
steadily decreasing the number of its con-
vict workmen for some time and increasing
its free shops. The management of this
company says that convict labor is all
things considered, dearer than free labor
President Perkins of the Cigar Makers
International Union. has sent an appeal Ia
President Roosevelt Attorney General
Knox, Governor Jennings, of Florida and
the chief of police of Tampa, Fla for the
protection of the national government and
the state and local authorities i'm Florida
in behalf of James Wood, organizer OF the
cigar makers. and several members of the
Tampa union, who have received letters of
warning to leave Tampa or be killed A
little more than a year ago fifteen members
of cigar makers union I'm Tampa were
kidnapped and sent to an island I'm the Gulf
of Mexico. and, it is said, were never heard
from again.
The officers of the Western Federation OF
Miners have decided to invoke the aid OF
the law to punish officers of the National
Guard. who. IL is alleged. have perpetrated
| outrages upon the Colorado City, COL
| strikers, and an injunction will be applied
| for to prevent any repetition of such acts
| Attorney John r. Smith. who has been re-
| tained as counsel by the Federation left
| Denver for Colorado City on Thursday i'm
company with stenographer TO take depo-
sitions in the different cases. "Action will
| be begun against officers OF the militia and
| Others said Secretary w. ID. Haywood.
of the Federation. for confiscation of
property, invading private houses, arresting
| men without warrants and holding them
without charge and other Illegal actions.