The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1906-03-26
MINERS SECEDE
FROM SUPPORT Of
JOHN MITCHELL

Pittsburg, March 26.-Disgusted with
what they call John Mitchells failure In
the Indianapolis conference, the miners
OF the Pittsburg district the fellows who
are digging the coal 10 pay the $50 900
this convention Is going TO cost the Union
Mine Workers, are ready 10 break away
from the leadership. They are ready 10
fall under the banner OF Vice President
Il. l.. Lewis, who they say, his displayed
the best generalship of the two, and form
an independent union.
Mitchells threat 10 sign a scale with
r. l.. Robbins has been HIS undoing here
The miners declare they would not go
To work even II such scale were signed
at would be the death OF the union"
said one of the leaders today. THE men
In all the independent mines In this dis
trict would be out OF work. The Pittsburg
coal company men would be the only ones
TO gain anything from this long drawn
out conference. The other fellows would
break away from the union and the
United Mine Workers would be done.
1--WE realize now, too late, that Presi-
dent Pat Doian was right when he fought
the Ryan resolution, for the demand for
an increase two months ago. Mitchell
said he was a traitor and removed him
from office Now Mitchell cannot make
good"
Edward Mckay, who is believed TO have
been elected president Of the district by
the election which ended yesterday, said:
THE men OF this district do not want 10
go to work unless they all go TO work.
We do not want a scale signed for one
company or one district That would
break up the interstate agreement. The
men are willing to accept the 1903 scale.
but noting less. But we want II for the
bituminous miners of the four states"
..,tI1 GlQx Ftfer Iaf
Not much Is expected OF that field as
Mitchell himself drew only is men 10 n
meeting here two years ago. The district
would join this one In a new union under
the leadership OF Lewis.
woLL LID INCREASE PRICES.
New York. March 26.-The committee of
seven OF the anthracite operators is
sued statement last night 10 show that
IL would be necessary To charge the con-
sumer sl.2O more than he is playing now
if the demands OF the anthracite miners
were granted. The statement says in
part:
Much inquiry has been made as 10 the
precise calculation by which the anthra-
cite coal operators establish the fact that
I'm order TO grant the demands made by
the coal miners IL Will be necessary 10
raise the price charged the consumer by
H2O n ton The operators feel that the
point as IL will be absolutely Impossible
to sell coal for less than this increase IL
the demands be allowed.
''The demands OF the miners provide
for a three-fold increase OF wages First
An increase OF 10 per cent TO all miners
engaged in cutting coal or other men en-
gagged I'm contract work. Secondly-The
establishment OF a minimum day wage
for each class of labor. This minimum
day wage in many instances Is 100 pei
cent greater than the rates now being
paid ,Phird-The establishment OF an
eight hour day. instead OF nine-houi
day, without any reduction in days pay
"By careful calculations from the pay
rolls OF the operating companies. the eff
feet of these three increases is 10 add ar
average OF 2.64 per cent 70 the actua
labor cost per ton OF coal This Is equal
at the present labor cost of H.5S, 10 ar
increase OF 33.6s cents per ton on al
sizes Of coal which are mined The
miners wages increase with every ad-
vance I'm the market price. and, according
to the figures of the Lehlgh Valley Coal
company, the demands Of the miners, II
granted. will increase the price Of coal
to consumers $l.20 per ton. Some COM
panies estimate the raise at little more
and others little less"