Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-21
G|RD|NG FOR BATTLE
Preparations in Hard Coal
Region for a Strike.
PEACE ENDS APRIL l
GLOOMY PROSPECT WITH A
CHANCE OF INTERVENTION.
Biggest Battle on Record If It Comes
What the Miners
Demand.
PEACE ENDS APRIL l
By G. A. LYON, Jr.


the one side and labor on the other that
this world has ever known. Owing to
| failure of the men who mine the anthra-
| cite coal used in furnishing heat to the
| great majority of the homes In the eastern
| half of this country to come to terms of
agreement with the men who manage the
| corpora tons that own the mines, there had
| been cessation of work at the collieries
| from the LIST of April until the middle of
| October, more than half year. The con-
| sequence was a shortage in the supply,
| sensational advance in the price and state
| OF the public mind closely bordering upon
| panic. Apart from the grave dangers from
| riots both at the mines and a. the points of
| ccal distribution, there was imminent peril
| of widespread physical suffering for the
| lack of fuel. The country has seldom been
| a. so acute crisis.
| 1t was at this critical stage that Presi-
| dent Roosevelt interviewed to put an end to
| the deadlock at the mines to secure the
| resumption of work and to relieve the suf-
| ferings of the people. truce was de-
| clared, the mines were placed again in OPP
! Grafton. prices fell quickly to a point APP
preaching the normal, and Il commission
| uamed by the President set to work to ad-
Just the differences between the miners and
the operators, as the owners of the coal
properties are called After weeks of in
vestfgation and delberation that body
hLally reported a form of agreement be-
tween the two Sides which after some de-
muT from both, was accepted and put into
force, TO expire three years from April l.
1903.
Peace Until April 1.
The expiration of this agreement. under
which there has been a state of almost I'M
broken peace AT the hard-coal mines. will
occur April 1 next In anticipation of that
event both the miners and the operators
Rave for several months been quietly pre-
paring for another encounter. and the pub
lie at large, which stands to lose most
severely from strike, is anxiousy watch
ing the preliminary maneuvers in this cam
palgn One of the most earnestly consid-
cred questions of the day is. Will there be
aIcther coal strike in the spring?
In order to obtain informat ton permitting
al: answer to this question we'll in advance
or the time of the actual expiration of the
truce, a representative of The Star went
recently into the hard-coal district to survey
the ground, to test the sentiments of the
miners. to ascertain the views of the rep
resentatives of the corporations and to
gain a personal knowledge of the condi-
tons under which the mining of hard coal
is conducted.
The net result of this inquiry is that
there Is today grave danger of strike
so grave danger, indeed, that it is doubt
ful whether there can be strike.
A Paradoxical Outlook.
This Is a paradox, apparently. But some
times case can be stated only In para
doxical terms The truth Is that the chance
OF strike occurring is a big one: that all
the elements now make for another con-
hict; that If this strike does come It will
De one OF the very greatest on record
more severe. more bitterly conducted on
Dotn sides than the strike of 1902; that the
consequences of such a strike are so
fraught with peril to the peace and well
fare of the entire country that II is today
ha ton,
the strike than its occurrence.
For every factor that makes today for
trouble in the anthracite coal region, there
is another factor that makes for peace
The greatest peace force of all is the
knowledge that the threatened strike will
paralyze American industries, cripple com
merce and threaten the lives of the peo-
pie. The experience of 1902 has not been
forgotten, and while their part the
miners are heartened by their recollec-
tons of that struggle, on the other hand
the people at large terrified when they
think of the dangers.
Hence the paradox.
The course of events during these next
few months elapsing before the agreement
expires will be fraught with The gravest
interest for all classes. Scarcely a day
passes without contributing some item of
important news to the. situation. Now ii
relates to the adjustment of the issues in
VolVed in the enforcement of the child la Dor
laws in the anthracite regions Again 1t
treats of the anxiously expected decision
of the state courts on the question of the
two-year-experience requirement in the hire
OF coal cutters, or contract miners. Next
1t bears upon the preparations for the
miners convention to be held in Deem
Der, at which the demands of the workers
will be formulated. Or it may tell of the
absorption of one of the independent coal
corporations by one of the big railroad
systems, such as the purchase by the Lee
high Valley railroad of the CO-.e Brothers
colieries; or. as in the latest instance, II
may describe outbreak of trouble he
tween an independent company and it's
employees, a strike despite the three-yea
agreement.
Complex Question.
To understand this hard coal proposition
in all its bearings calls for painstaking
study. The Presidents commission worked
for weeks and produced a vast volume of
testimony and findings and people up in
the anthracite district say that these cana
bic men only scratched the surface For
the mining problem Families into questions
OF sociology as well as economies: IL EN-
braces factors of human temperament as
well as geology
In the first place. the visible" supply of
hard coal is vigorously restricted by nature
The deposits known to be confined to
few narrow, sit-like patches. ranging
down through six seven counties in
northeastern Pennsylvania Unlike soft
coal, it is useless to seek this product of
nature. In its way freak in any other
section of the country, or in any other sec
ton of Pennsylvania. The man who dis
covers hard coal on his property else
where will be child OF fortune.
Thus the natural conditions Favor con-
centration of the monopoly, land this con-
centration has continued through several
generations of both owners and workers
until today these two sides confront each
other in solid ranks. so compact, so well
organized that a fight must be fight to
finish unless some third force intervenes
as happened three years ago.
The miners have been steauily approach
ing this state of perfect organization
through long course of years. 1t has been
difficult and even dangerous task to
get them shoulder to shoulder. Race preju-
dfces. class differences, personal jeaI-
ousies have all worked against perfect
union That there is today virtually
solid wall of labor confronting the mine
owners is a tribute to the perseverance,
the skin, the tact and the masterfulness Of
one man, John Mitchell.
John Mitchell's Achievement.
Go through the hard coal district from
end to end. talk with miners and operators.
with merchants and professional men. and
whenever the coal question is broached-as
To he t.,f x,x.o rhar, tine thx-o<.