The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1906-04-02
100000 MINERS
ARE ON STRIKE
Operatives Obey MitcheII's
Order.
SOME TOY To OPERATE
SOME TRY TO OPERATE
Practically However the Entire
Coal Production of Country
is Stopped.

WILKESBARRE Pa. April 2-One
hundred and sixty thousand mine
workers of the anthracite region, com
prisiug miners. aborers, company
hands and breaker boys, are on strike
ia this district in obedience to the sus-
pension order issued by Mr. Mitchell
and their district presidents
The union officials say that ali of
these men will remain away from the
colleries and that not ton Of coal
will be mined The local unions have
appointed committees of pickets, who
line the roads to the collieries to per
suade any who might desire to 80 to
work to change their minds
The operators state that the whole
situation was up to the miners Some
of the companies have posted notices
declaring that work will continue in
their mines Others whose rules are
to put up notices only when work is to
he discontinued, have posted none.
Men who report for work will be
paid whether the colliery is able TO
work or not The operators say that
they are acting fairly and squarely to
the public. that they want to mine coal
and will do so under the present agree
ment and that it is impossible to grant
the average 33 per cent demanded by
the mine workers unless they raise the
price of coal 81 % 10 meet the increas-
ed labor cost
II is also the policy of the operators
not to irritate the mine workers If they
strike by employing nonunion workers,
aud they are not employing armed
guards 10 haunt their arms in the faces
of the strikers Ms they did in 1902
They expect the mine workers 70 re-
allie that preventing the mine pumps
from working means that they are
hurting themselves more than they are
hurting the operators If they do not
prevent the mines from becoming
flooded they win be- unable TO work
tHcih Abl lphb iliht HiAVi Inv sum-
ends If they stop the pumps. then
they must bear the consequences
Al meetings of the local union the
men declared their determination TO
remain ON strike until they received
further orders from President Mitchell
The executive committee OF the OPP
orators Of the southwestern district
has sent the following telegram to
President Roosevelt
The operators of the Southwestern
Interstate Coal Operators association.
embracing Missouri, Kansas Arkansas,
Texas and Indian Territory. realizing
the gravity of the crisis caused ny the
failure Of themselves and the miners
to agree ON wage scale and c0ndi-
lions OF labor in that field. wish 10
submit all questions at issue TO arb-
tration before a commission TO be ap.
pointed by the president of the United
! States"
The anthracite mine operators com
mittes will meet the miners commit
tee IN New York tomorrow, and fur
Their conference on the wage scale will
be held. Pending the outcome Of this
meeting the anthracite miners have
been called outiand will not return to
work until an adjustment of their de-
mands has been brought about
/ 1t IL announced from Johnstown, Pa.
( that thousand or more union miners
will make demonstration at the
mines of the Berwind- White Coal com
pany at Windber today in an effort to
/ get the nonuniOn miners to come into
/ the organization The demonstration
is to consist of parade but no trou-
bic is expected
In the Pittsburg district, while the
/ scale agreement has expired, there has
been no steps taken that will Indicate
Il general suspension of work Today
is holiday, being Mitchell day the
anniversary of the granting of the eight
hour day to the miners. and all mines
are closed. Tomorrow, however. mat
ters are expected to reach a climax.
The district convention scale commit
tee will have in readiness the new
scale, aud then II is expected that most
of the operators will sign.
II is expected that among the first
of the signers will be Francis l.. Rob
bins, chairman of the Pittsburg Coal
company, who has been the leader OF
the operators in granting the advance,