Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-04-02
SIGN SCALE TUESDAY
Many Pittsburg Soft Goal Operators Offer to
Pay 1908 WAGES.
TO-DAY a HOLIDAY FOR COAL %lNEF
It f. known as Mitchell Day and IS
Celebrated as Anniversary
of EiEht-Hour
Victory.

PITTSBURG, April 1.-Dispatches from
tho soft coal fields tonight indicate al
most a general announcement from the
operators OF western Pennsylvania to pay
the miners the advance OF 5,5 per cent
per ton called for in the restoration Of the
scale of 1908. with notices posted at the
majority OF the mines announcing the
granting OF the scale, the strike in the soft
coal fields has lost the threatening aspect
that has surrounded Il since last January.
Despite these notices. Il was announced
from Johnstown that 100 or more union
miners would make a demonstration at the
mines OF the Berwing-White company's
mines at windber tomorrow In an effort
TO get the non-uhion miners TO come into
the union. At Dubois the men met today
and decided to remain out with the excep-
tion Sf the pumpmen, engineers and fremen
until after the district convention, which
begins Tuesday. OF the 10000 in West Vir-
ginia but 5000 are affiliated with the United
Mine Workers. About l,JOO are in the Pen
handle section and these have ceased work.
Announcement was made from Green's
burg tonight that the scale had been
granted by the operators OF fifteen mines
in Westmoreland county.
In the Pittsburg district there has been
little change in the last twenty-four hours.
While the scale agreement expired last
night at midnight, there has been no steps
taken that would indicate general sus-
/ pension OF work. Tomorrow Is a holiday,
being Mitchell day, the anniversary of the
/ granting of the cight-hour day to the
miners, and all mines will be closed. On
Tuesday. however. the district conventions
| l.. ~.
now scale, and It is expected most Of the
operators will sign 1t. 1t is expected that
among the first signers will be Francis L.
Robbins of the Pittsburg Coal company.
who has been the leader Of the operators
in granting the advance. Whatever sus-
pensions may follow on the part Of the
/ independent operators in the district Il is
not expected that over 5000 Of the 5000 men
In the district win so out The operators
opposed to an advance will hold a meeting
Tuesday to confer on what course to pursue.
The miners officials arc confident that
Robbins competitors will yield after the
meeting.
All Quiet in Southwest Field.
KANSAS CITY, Mo, April LIP to late
tonight there had been no developments
LOT interest in the coal mining districts in
Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and the terri
tories. where the union men quit work Ia
yesterday. Everywhere quiet was reported
with no signs OF trouble.
AT South McAlester, I. r.. where II was
rumored that some mines might be opened
! up with nonunion men. the operators an
nounced tonight that they would make M
! EFFORT TO resumes operations now =
Two hundred men working in the mines
in the immediate vicinity OF Tulsa, l. n.
not affiliated with the miners association
will continue at work tomorrow, usual.
w. C. Perry. president Of the Southwest
ern Coal Operators association, who
reached Kansas City last night from tn,
Indianapolis conference, said today
"our offer to arbitrate is still open t
the miners"
Ohio May Insist on state Scale.
COLUMBUS. o.. April 1.-The exeoutiv,
board OF the Ohio Mine Workers has beef
called to meet in Columbus next Tuesda!
to determine the policy of the Ohio miners
with reference to signing wage contracts.
Until the executive board determine
whether the miners Of Ohio will be permit
ted to sign contracts with individua
operators or whether they will stand as
unit for the 1903 scale, the mines Will re
main idle. What attitude the Ohio mine
this time The operators opposed granting
an advance on the miners refusing to al
low individual contracts to be made.
> Vice President Lewis of the national OF
: ganization did not come to. Columbus a
expected, but went to his home in Bridge
port o. He will go to Charleroi, Pa. to
morrow, where he will speak to the miners
Mitchell starts East.
| NJ nd
\ John Mitchell OF, the United Mine Work
ers of America left tonignt for New Yorh
: where he will meet the miners represent
I atives on the joint subcommittee of tn
n anthracite operators and miners in preps
ration for meeting OF that body tomor
4 row. Secretary w. b. Wilson left thi
afternoon for Clearneld to assist in max
ing contracts for district No 2.
Fifty Thousand Idle I'm Illinois.
SPRINGFIELD. ILL.,, April 1-Tomorro'
] all coal mines in the state will be idl,
not only because Of the strike. but becaus
the men on that day will celebrate I'll
eiEht-hour work day obtained April l. lss
Tuesday the miners state executive boar
win meet 10 plan strike campaign. o
: the same day the Illinois Operators assC
citation will meet In Chicago. About 500
men are on strike in Illinois.
:. ST. LOUIS. April 1.-The situation in III
: nois, across the river among the strikin
!, coal miners. is reported quiet. There wa
no disturbance today and no trouble at an
!. OF the places vacated by miners at midnigl
last night
: An inspection this afternoon by the ASS
clated Press OF the district lying betwee
. East st. Louis and Belleville fourteen mill
east showed scores of cars filled with Bit
I. minOus coal sidetracked by various raj
= roads as reserve contingency in the evei
= OF a coal stringency.
= Governor Folk Leases a Mine.
JEFFERSON CITY Mo- April Loo
ernor Folk. through Warden Matt Hall
4 the state penitentiary here, has leased
mine near waverley from which coal W
z be mined during the present strike
suhhcient quantities to supply the fftes
state institutions with fuel. The miners
waverley are paid more than the reguli
scale and do not want to strike IL tn,
"a should be forced TO go out Warden Hs
d. said today that there will be no difieul
% in operating the mine II the state is fore,
D. TO resort 10 that extremity.
Smaller Indiana Operators Will siRl
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. April L--Distri
A President Wellington o'connor OF d
United Mine Workers OF America today a