The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-11-24
Big STRIKE COMING
President OF United Mine Workers Predicts
That Five Hundred Thousand Workmen
Will Go Out April 1, 1905.
MITCHELL CHALLENGES OPERATORS

sCIEvELA.JD, Ohio. Nov 24.-Max
Hayes, a national labor leader writer
on labor topics, delegate to the A. F.
of l.. convention from the Typograph-
ical Union and Fraternal delegate to
the labor ionsconventions in Europe.
q few years ago. from the A. F. of l..
to-day has signed special story tel
egraphed from Pittsburg in the Leader
as follows:
A coal strike and lockout affecting five
hundred Thousand workmen and paral.
wing tile bituninous and anthracite
industry Is predicted for April 1, 1906.
by Jokn Mitchell, President United
Mine Workers Of America, one OF the
foremost labor leaders in the country.
Here in attendance at the A. F. of L.
convention he said with emphasis last
night: "If tie bituminous and ,antnra.
scite operators insist upon further re-
sduetion OF wages for mining, coal IT
simply means fight. Not only will our
members not accept cut in swages
hut they will in all probability demand
a restoration Of the 5k per cent. re-
/. .-cuclion tsls,.ie' agreed 10 IN me pituminous
'ieia sl.l'ls iast year as well as raise Tor TIE
poorest paid men in and about the
mines in the anthracite district"
Tlis statement followed the declara!
ton of Vice President 4. L. Lewis, of
tthe Mihe, WORKERS Cnion' In "hlch
: M Mitcnell was inclined to agree. Lewis
3 "a ssaia. ~ MY opinion is, aiter caretuiiy
consIderins all details and incidents OF
our u traae, tfat there wll1pe natlon,
al SUSPENSION IN the mining industry
7 ies next SPRING: I don't see now 1t can be
yerteaslI the operators IN me anthta-
I. cite' ite ana nhious coal neids attemrt
enforce theirs threats OF reducing
q q wages anasishosing5o our union Lewis
:; si'ts sldaed laat thea miners are making
: every pr eparation 10 meet tie issue
tssnd nattie ior me iile OF tEclr orsaniZa-
tlon 70 maintain the wage sca'es they
now nave ana better Tie same il posi-
Z Ole
Mtcheiis deeiaration Is ms i'rst c"fa-
ment SINCE ne pegan MS campaign o.
organization IN the anthracite helds IN
this state sometime ago. Heretofore
ne l'ssl mas skiiiIaiiy oodged he Issue.
Mitchell said I'VE are now in po-
sition where We can take the public
INTO our commence. Aher tEe great
sariKes Oh ioe5 thousands OF anthracite
Z miners, knowing that we have secured
agreements, nave unfortunately left
he union. feeling themselves secure
Tor the time being.
This male the o'it'ooE d'sconrastEg
out efforts dnrlns the past rev months
nave been to brins the men pack into
the foid. we have been successful.
AT the cue OF this month one hun
dred thousand hard coal miners VIII eo
LAYING dues into Cur national union.
This means that ninety per cent. OF
those eligible to join ar" members OF
the organization
Al told there are about 100000 per-
sons employed In the anthracite mines.
on this number 25,ooO are breaker
boys. about 1900 are superintendents,
foremen, etc, and many of the remain
der are barted for one reason or ar
other
Mitchell Thought there might ne a
4 possibility OF averting trouble when
the operators learned that practically
all the skilled worfmen are again in
the union, He stated that IL the or