Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1903-09-17
Men Quit Work and No Coal
is Being Mined.
MACHINES CAUSE TROUBLE
Notice Was Posted to Load
Coal from Them at 1oc a
Car, Which Miners
Refuse to Do.

While it is generally known that
strike has been declared at the mines
OF the Douglas Coal and Coke Co., near
dunlap, 1t Is not known by those out
side the controversy just what is the
trouble. A News reporter Friday Sc
cured details of the matter as follows:
Thecause of the trouble is primarily
brought about by the use of mining ma
chimes which have been installed by the
Douglas Company at great expense, and
the strike dates from Saturday Sept. >
when notice was posted at the mines
by j. S. Hoffecker, President of the
company, that all miners should load
coal from the machines into the cars at
lOc per car, such cars to be loaded four
inches above top of car with coal or
three inches below top OF car with
slate. Moreover it was orderad that all
men working in the face shift should
be at the face or place of work at 700
a. m. and remain there until 4 p. m.,
and that there should be no walking on
the incline or riding trips.
by previous arrangement it had been
agreed that payments for machine work
should be under the following scale;
Machine men, $500 per day; hostler,
$I.50; loader, Sl.6O; shooter, S1.00; help
er, $l.50 This scale dates back to the
time when the machines were first put
in operation, or about Aug. II, though
all the machines were not brought into
use at once. Said scale was to be used
in fixing price of running machines un-
Til fixed at joint meeting of operators
and miners at Knoxville, which met IN
adjourned session in Knoxville Fri
day last. Mr.. Hoffecker was the orig
inator of this scale, which was accepted
by the scale committee of the Dunlap
local and by Board Member Vaughn Of
Tracy City, for the miners, and had in
no wise been broken by them. The
agreement, however, seems to have
been totally ignored by Mr.. Hoffecker
when he posted the notice that all load
ing of coal or slate at the machine
should be 1Oc per car, In defense of his
action he says that the miners havo not
been doing their duty by the machines
in obtaining their full capacity for the
production of coal,
This the men strongly deny, saying
that they cannot earn as much with the
machines as without them. The follow
ing case would seem to prove this point:
A miner and his helper made an aver.
age Of 90 cars per day in their room un-
der the old system OF mining, but after
the machines took their place the same
room averaged only IA cars per day with
six men. There are instances like this,
and the miners declare they cannot
make more than S1.OO per day loading
at this rate, while the average wage
would about soc per day. Consequent
ly all, with the exception of two loft
the mines.
Under the new scale the miner can
make only SOC to S1OO per day, while
under the old system Of mining he made
from S2.OO to $3.50.
The union miners have established
guard at the foot of the incline to warn
men not to enter the mines until tho
matter is settled.
Pres. Hoff ecker has been taking legal
advice as to how to proceed, and what
decision has been reached has not yet
been discovered, and has asked the
protection OF the sheriff of the county
for the protection of himself, his prop
erty and family, but that official is not
greatly worried over the matter.
About 100 men, miners and company
hands, are now out.
The following men have been elected
from their houses by President Hoffeck-
ar. under charge Of fomenting discord
regarding the machines: Scott Torbett,
Uenry Torbett, John TOrbett, John
FARMER and Amos Perkins.