The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-09-25
COAL WILL GO VI,
MINES SHUT DOWN
Half a Million Men to Be Locked
Out to Kill Miners
Union.
Big Coal Man Says Consumers
Have Been Getting Coal
Too Cheap.
New YORK Sun Special Service.

NOW 1ork DUN 0poCAaA S01S4V0s 3
m Ritts0nrg S siRt be s oreed into half idle
ness next April 1: A combined strike
Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, In
diana, Illinois and part Of Kentucky
is scheduled. On next April 1, all the
wage scales between all the miners
and operators Of the country expire,
A meeting has been called in Chicago
operators Of all the states mentioned.
Anthracite and bituminous operators
will assemble together for the common
veal for the first time. It is proposed
to combine all the forces in an attack
to strike down the United Mine Work
been kept alive by the bituminous coal!
operators Of western Pennsylvania,
Ohio, Indiana and illinois.
To Turn Against Miners.
The purpose Of the anthracite oper-
ators in Joining the bituminous dealers
is to turn them against the miners
union.
No coal contracts are being made for.
made beyond next April /. Already the
coap operators are stocking coal for
the time when the mines will. be closed.
Francis L. Robbins, president Of the
Pittsburg Coal company, the largest
coal combine in the world, was asked
about the impending crisis. The Pitts
bug Coal company mines. and ships
wanna g. Erie railroads combined
handle. Mr.. Robbins said:
\ Words Of Coal Baron.
The average man not Interested in the
| coal industry cannot conceive what 1t
means when he IS told that next April 1
every coal-mining wage scale in the coun-
| try expires on that date How. we are to
reach an agreement cannot be realized.
The anthracite coal operators are lining
| up against the union. =
President Mitchell has issued an ulti-
matum that the miners union must be
recognized In some shape. The miners
must have an eight hour work day, and
the boys and unskilasa snen must have an
4 increase in wages anG uniform pay, and
that day Iaborers must haWe "a minimum
and uniform pay. .s3
| I know that the anthracite operators
will not grant some. Of these demands
This will tend to close down the eastern
mines: Already they are stocking up coal
| which they can do to advantage. We IT
the bituminous field cannot do this be.
cause our coal cannot stand to be handled
like hard coal. But Of course we will fl
our COCKS ana DarS6S anu De prepared 1Ol
the worst if it comes
Consumers have been getting their Goa
too cheap. The stockholders Of our com
panfes have not been earning anything
i We must get better prices
Bituninous coal has advanced Is cent!
a ton in the face Of recent events. It will
go higher before winter.
Mr.. Robbins pointed out that an ad
vance of 10 cents a ton meant profit
of 100000 year to the Pittsbure
Coal company. Hence the, main OBJ
iect in the shutdown is to fill all tn.
! bunkers, bins, boats and docks ant
then to force prices. upward. More
money will be made in this way thar
in operating the mines under existins
prices.
! According to the present plan tn
coal operators at the meeting with tn!
z United Mine Workers will not reacl
an agreement. The conference viii
} adjourn sine die. The operators viii
i demand a reduction Of Is cents a tol
on the present mining rate. The miner
will refuse to accept it. The mine
, will be closed April l.