Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1906-02-26
VCePresideRtSaySOpePatOP
Will Soon Come 10 Terms.
WILL RESTORE REDUCTION
MADE TWO YEARS AGO
Great Industrial Catastrophe Will Be
Averted by Graceful Surrender
Of the Coal Barons.

indianapolis, Feb. 25.-In a state
mcnt issued tonight to the Associated
Press, Vice President r. Il. Lewis, of
the United Mine Workers of America,
declares there will be no strike of
Mine Workers April I. saying the Op-
orators will restore the reduction aC-
ceptcd by the miners two years ago
and perhaps more.
You may accept one proposition as
a fixed fact That there will be no
strike in the mining industry April /.
The operators will restore the reduc-
ton accepted by the miners two years
ago and perhaps more. f. J., Robin
son, of Pennsylvania, and Mr. Taylor, of
Illinois, leaders of the operators, re-
cognize their untenable position at
Indianapolis and have gracefully sub
mitted to the inevitable and will pay
an advance to the miners. general
strike will be averted. Business will
not be paralyzed by Industrial strife
An era of peace will be established
for another period of years and the
trade agreement method of settling la
Dor disputes will win new friends to
its standard.
The anthracite operators must now
grant an advance, in view of the ac-
tion of the bituminous operators.
The details will be worked out la
ter. and probably through a special
national convention of Mine Workers.
For two years it has been my de-
tcrmined purpose TO have all wage
agreements of miners terminate on
the same date. SO that unity of action
might be secured without violating ex-
isting agreements on April T. 1900.
The first move in this direction was
made in Pittsburg Kansas, 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 our
agreements expire March 81 next BY
virtue of this arrangement the Mine
Workers of the country are now in Il
position to compel the operators to
deal with us justly.
'At the recent joint convention f
advocated an advance for the miners,
because ! believe they are entitled to
it.
Big Industries Prosperous
"The iron and steel industry and the
railroad companies of the country
very large consumers of coal-were
never more prosperous than now.
From admissions made by those en-
gagged i'm the production Of coal and
dependent largely upon these above
named industries it must have been
apparent that few cents per ton ad-
vance To miners was not to stand in
the way Of the prosperous condition
Of the iron, steel and railroad inter-
ests The operators at the recent In
dianapolis convention showed the
strongest evidence Of the weakness of
their position when they ignored our
arguments that they could pay an ad-
vance to Mine Workers at the present
selling price Of coal and still make a
large profit. The developments will
prove additional facts. namely: First.
that some of the large corporations
represented at the recent Indianapol-
Is joint convention were not I'm a posi-
ton to make a successful resistance Of
the miners demands. Second, that
the great coal consuming public will
not materially suffer by reason Of the
advance which will be granted to mi
ners."