Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-01-09

Not long after Il was settled the rep
resentatives OF the bItuminous coal min
ing organizations came to Cleveland
and asked me TO organize the operators
In order that we might cooperate to-
gether and avoid such troubles In the
future. / did form an organization,
ard as long as Il continued which was
for several years, all our difficulties
were settled by arbitration. Since
then the same principle has been adopt
ed with the national organlM-
ton Of the United Mine Workers, They
combine with the operators, both
meeting together once a year to fix a
scale. which is IN the nature Of an an J..
nual agreement, and forms the scale OF
wages for that year This policy has
proved most satisfactory to employers
and employees"
THE ANTHRACITE COAL TRoU-
BLES.
But do the men keep such con-
tracts"
Yes replied Senator Hanna, "es.
pecially In the old and well.organized
unions, Take the case OF the United
Mine Workers during the great AN.
thracite strike OF last year You VIII
remember the situation. one hundred
and fifty thousand men We're out OF
work, the families OF many OF them
were on the edge Of starvation, the
mines were closed down, AMI the whole
country was IN the throes OF a coal
famine. Now, II Is a law of the Unit
ed Mine Workers that II FIVE OF the
different organizations composing It
demand a national convention II has
10 be called. Five did cal for IL. in
Guiding some organizations already In
volyed In the strike.
"As result a thousand delegates
representing the vast army OF btu
minous coal miners met at Indianapolis
with John Mitchell as their president.
They had contract for the year with
the operators as to prices and wages,
and the question was whether they
should break this and join In the SYM
pathetic strike TO help their brothers.
the anthracite miners ~ Pennsylvania.
AT that convention the awful con-
dition In the anthracite mines was cx-
planned, the terrible want and suffering
set forth and Il general strike de-
handed Had they granted the de-
mand and broken their contract with
the operators they would have in
flcted incalculable loss to the United
States. Most of our industries would
have come TO standstlll. Within a
short time the coal on hand would
have been used and every factory
would have had to shut down. Every
car upon the railroad, except perhaps
the mails, would have had to stop, and
cold and want would have dropped
upon a majority of the homes OF the
United States.
1.-THE public did not fully realize IT,,
but the situation was terrible one.
John Mitchell saw 1t and In connec-
ton with the other leaders Of the
United Mine Workers brought forth
the sentiment which prevented tho
strike. The question was referred to
n committee OF twenty-nine. who
strove one whole night as to Its settle
ment. In the morning they brought
forth a resolution which was adopted
BY the convention. II was that the
| United Mine Workers would stick To
their contract, but also that they
would give ten per cent OF their wages
10 help their brothers In their strike
in the anthracite mines Of Pennsyl-
| vania,"
ORGANIZED LABOR COME TO
STAY.
How about organized labor, sena-
tor? Has It come to stay2"
There Is no doubt OF It," was the
reply. 1T is condition and should
be treated accordingly. The trades
union Is not an original creation Of the
United States. 1t was imported from
England, 1t Is now being American
ICED and It Is better in every way than
the English union. II does not believe
! In the restriction OF output and I'm the