The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-10

Il 1 . . .
miners of the Tuscarawns valley. 1t oc-
cured In 1874 about thirty years ago.
AZ that time I went to Nlassllon. near
Swherc The mines were, hild lived With
ahe ,,coplc. ,Thc strike was n hard ono,
tn,d 1It caused great suffering. IN try-
Ing to settle It. It seems to me the
situnton was all wrong, and there got
tho idea about such matters upon which
I hnyn noted ever since. 1t liz that upon
which thn civic Federation Is based, and
is that ali sucl, things should be settled
Nv conference and mutual Cancellation be-
tyeen the workmcn and their employers
twas that strike settled In that way,
&c nat Org" asked. .
mo: II was fought out to tho end.
Not long after 1t was settled the repre-
sentatlves Of the bitun,ous coal mining
organizations came to cleveland anu
sized me to organize the operators IN
order that we might cooperate together.
md avoid such troubles In the future.
did form an organization. and ms long
as It continued. which was for several
ycars. all our difficulties were settled by
arbitration. Since then the same prln-
ciple has been adopted IN connection
With the national organization OF the
limited Mine Workers. They combine
wIth the operators, both meeting together
once q year to FIX q scale. which Is IN
the nature OF an annual agreement, and
forms the scale of wages for that year.
ibis policy has proved most satisfactory
To employers and employees.
THE ANTHRA CITE COAL TROUBLES:
"But do the men keep such contracts q
yes replied Senator Hanna "es-
pecIally In tho old and wel-organlzed
Unions Take the case OF the United
Mine Workers during the great anthra-
cite strike Of last year. You VIII re,
member the situation.s One hundred ana
fifty thousand men were out OF Worh'
the, families OF many of them were on
the edge OF starvation. the mines were
closed down, and the whole country was
II, the throcs of coal famine, NOV,
It is a law Of the United Mine WORKERS
that If five Of the different organizations
| composing 1t demand a national conven-
| tion II has 10 be Called Five did call
| for It. including some organizations al
!, ready involved In the strike.
Gas a result thousand delegates
representing the vast army OF btumin.
Gus coal miners met Indianapolis W, win
! John Mitchell as their president. 1ney
| had a contract for the year with the
operators as to prices and wages ana
| the question was whether they should
Drcal, this and join in the sympatnetic
strike to help their brother, the anthra-
| cite miners OF Pennsylvania n.
sat that convention the awful condi-
| ton in the anthracite mines was eA
! plaincd, the terrible want and suffering
1 set forth and n general strike demanded.
Had they granted tho demand and broken
| their contract with the operators they
| would have inflicte sdincalcuable loss to
| tho United States. Most of our industries
! would have come to standstill WITH
! in a short time the coal on hand would
Z have been used and every factory would
I have had to shut down. Every car upon
| the railroad, except perhaps me mans.
1 would have had TO stop, and cold and want
/ would have dropped upon "a majority OF
4 the homes OF tho United States.
"The public did not fully realize It. but
the situation was terrible one. Jo ,li
| Mitchell saw 1t and In connection with
/ the other leaders OF the United Mine
! workers brought forth the sentiment
y hich prevented the strike The cues
t,rantv-n nine. who strove one whole night
as to its settlement. In the morning
4 they brought forth resolution whicn