The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1904-03-05
ataff Special b. ". D. Kenny1

staff Special b. W. u. Kenny3
INDIANAPOLIS. March s.--Min-
ers late this afternoon rejected the
operators compromise.
II ls expected that the miners will
take decisive action In presenting an
ul,lmaium 70 the operators has
much as the compromise proposition
which tbs operators presented and
which has been turned down by the
miners. vas considered BY the for
msr az the very best that could be
done under the circumstances. a
strike no wapefuH to be inevitable
Few people realize the scope and ef-
feet % the big hitafuiuous coal strike
which IL likely 70 be the result u the
conference Of miners and operators
now IN sesAien here.
There are m fact two conferences.
one ~ between the miners ard oper-
aforH % tie four districts whose wage
seaisH expire April ]. The other ls a
national convention Of ali miners. both
anthracite and hitumlnouN.
The districts whose scale expires
April ! are IA Illinois. Indiana. Ohio
and western Pennsylvania. or these
districts there are ssepn miners af-
fnctsd In Illinois. is.ea IN Indiana.
D 90 In Ohio and q 600 in western
Pennsylvania, total Of 1900 men,
who are controlled by the United
Mine Workers Of America. Every
one % these men. probably. will so
out April unless the operators give
IN and sign renewal u the present
scale.
But these arr not the only ones af.
fsctcd Certain other districts while
having separate scales. are compete
tors. ia certain way. Of the districts
mentioned and areaffectnd by changes
In their rivals scale. Central Penn
syivania has 60 90 men who may be
forced 10 so out too. Iowa has ttpooi
Wcst Virginia ii.so. Kentucky eeg
and Michigan 1B0 These figures are
taken from the 4. NJ. ". % As books
and show a total OF stboo Therefore.
should the strike spread Go all these
districts, I'D io1 men would be- affected
That Mitchell believes Just such n
thing II possible is shown by the
fact that he has called convention
for all these districts 10 meet stimuli
tancously with the scale conference.
Tho conference is composed Of 5e5
miner delegates aud so operators. In
vote. however. each district Il en-
titled 70 four votes from each party.
That is. the miners have four and the
operators four. or fs votes on each
aide fer the four districts.
Another significant fact Is the action
OF the hard coal miners. white these
men are not affected. even Indirectly.
they are ieYyinR per capita tax of
5 cents per week. This money viii be
available for relief in the soft coal
fields IN the event OF a strike. I'm re-
turn for the assistance the bitumiuons
miners rendered the hard coal men
the last strike.
President Mitchell has been In close
consultation with members OF the ex-
ecutivc board for several weeks. Dia-
tflct officers have been coming in. In
twoa and thrcea. from different fields.
for months. While the great labor
leader ie averse 60 strikes. except as
last resort. he never was so well
prepared TO handle one his own way.
District leaders Of a violent or reck-
less disposition have been replaced by
cooler aud more conservative mem
men OF the John Mitchell type. With
these men he Ia sure OF being IN con.
troll and Of having the ponderous ma.
ehlnery Of tho national organization
responsive TO his slightest touch.
The battle. II one IL fought IA
likely 20 be a long one. The union has
ftinds. thorough organization In mosi
Of the districts, competent leaders and
local sympathy. The operators hay,
moro money. Just as thorough an or.