Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-02-27
NO STRIKE
IN MINES
MITCHELL AND LEWIS SAY COAL
BUSINESS WILL NOT BE
TIED UP
EXPECT WAGE ADVANCE
Vice President Lewis, In an Interview,
Says the Reduction Of Two Years
Ago Will be Nulllfied In Making
Scale for Next Year.

Indianapolis, Ind, Feb. 2e In a
staten ent given to the press last night
Vice President T. L. Lewis of the Uni
ted Mine Workers of America, declares
that there will be no strike Of the
mine workers on April 1, saying the
operators will restore the reduction ac-
cepted by the miners two years ago
and possibly will make the scale even
higher.
"You may accept one proposition as
a fixed fact" says Mr.. Lewis, that
there will be no general strike in the
mining industry April i. The opera
tors will restore the reduction accepted
by the miners two years ago and per-
haps more. F. l.. Robbins of Pennsyl-
vania and Mr.. Taylor Of Illinois, lead
ers OF the operators, recognize their
untenable position at Indianapolis and
have gracefully submitted to the in
eyitable and will pay an advance to the
miners. A general strike will be
averted. Business will not be par
aylzed by Industrial strife. An era of
peace will be established for another
period of years and the trade agree
ment method of settlig labor disputes
will win new friends to its standard.
Anthracite Owners Must Follow.
"The anthracite operators must now
grant an advance in view Of the ac-
tion OF the bituminous operators. The
details will be worked out later and
probably through a special national
convention Of the mineworkers.
e For two years 1t has been my de
termined purpose to have all wage
agreements of the miners terminate
on the same date so that unity of ac
tion might be secured without violat
ing existing agreements on April l
1906. The first move in this direction
was made in Pittsburg, Kan, in the
summer Of 1904, when the expiration
date Of the contract was extended
from the end of August to the end OF
March, this year. Practically all ou1
agreements expire March 81, next. BY
virtue Of this agreement the mine
workers Of the country are now in q
position to compel the operators tc
deal with us justly.
"At the recent joint convention ir
Indianapolis advocated an advance
for the miners because believe they
are entitled to 1t.
Entitled to Increase.
"The iron and steel industry and the
railroads Of the country-very large
consumers Of coal--were never more
prosperous than now From admis
sions made by those engaged in ths
production of coal and dependen
largely upon the above named indus
tries 1t must have been apparent t!la
a few cents per ton advance to th'
miners was not to stand in the way o
the continued prosperous condition o
the iron, steel and railroad interests
The operators at the recent Indian
apolis convention showed the strong
est evidence Of the weakness Of thei
position when they ignored our argu
ments that they could pay an advance
to the mineworkers at the presens sell
ing price Of coal and still make larg,
profit.
Development will prove additiona
facts, namely: First, that some ot tn,
large corporations represented at tn,
recent indianapolis joint convention
were not in a position to make sue
cessful resistance of the miners dc
mands. Second, that the great Goa
consuming public will not ma.eriall'
suffer by reason Of the advance whicl
will be granted to the miners"
New. York, Feb. 6-President Johl
Mitchell of the United Mine Workers o
America today endorsed the opinion
that there will be no general strike OF
coal miners April 1, which was givel
out last night in Indianapolis by Vic
President Lewis.
No Change, Says Robbins.
Francis l.. Robbins, chairman of tn,
com mittee of the bituminous operators
was in New York today and said
There is absolutely no change in tn,
situation. see no prospects of avert
ing a strike on April !. No meeting
of operators has been held and ther
| could be no change of front on tn,
part of the operators without confer
ence among them" Robbins would no
1 say whether he came here to confe
with Mitchell.
!! Leaders Hold Conference.
| Later Mitchell went into conference
with Robins and others representa-,
the soft coal interests at the Waldorf
A I. ~