Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1908-04-01
Quarter of a Million Men
Idle Pending Agreement on
Wages and Hours With Or
ganized Employers,
PROSPECTS BRIGHT FOR
AN EARLY SETTLEMENT
Union Politics Believed to Be
Partly Responsible for Wide-
spread Shut Down. No Fear
of Coal Famine,

of Coal Famine,
IBy Morrlng Journal Special I.eas>d Wire !
Indianapolis md, March 31.-Two
hundred and fifty thousand picks
cropped from the hands of as many
btumnous coal miners of the United
states not to be used again until q
wage settlement mas been reached ana
scale adopted between the members
Of the United Mine Workers Of Ameri-
ca and the coal operators of the varl-
aus fields Tomorrow morning $50
100 men win be idle and thousands OF
c1al mines Of the country win be de-
serted,
The situation, however does not in
dcate a prolonged strike. An open
winter and industrial depression have
left large stock of coal on hand and
the differences between miners and
operators are very slight 1t is prac,
tically agreed that the present Wagc
will be continued but some politics
in connection with the change tonight
in the national officers of the mineu
organization and local dlnerences be-
tween operators and miners have re-
suited in temporary suspension FROM
work until a new wage scale is agreed
10 either by districts or Individual
mlnes.
Until two years ago the bituminous
Oal mining wage OF the country was
hsed upon the agreement reached in
NJ central comp p4,seSt & consist
ing Of Illinois, Ohio, Indiana and
western Pennsylvania and considered
as a unit This unit system was brok-
en- two years ago when President Nit
chell signed a scale with Pittsburg
operators who agreed to pay the scale
demanded after operators of the other
three states had refused and the min
ers won their fight in consequence.
Operators signed the scale individual
~ throughout the country
Since that time the miners have
tried to get back the unit rule. or
interstate agreement, but operators of
western Pennsylvania, Ohio and MI
nos, after negotiations lasting all
the past winter. have refused to meet
in Interstate convention with the min
ers' As lasI resort freS'uenI NH
chell called the miners IN hauoha'
convention and district settlements
were agreed ~ WIN 'ii' present was
scale as a minimum and falling to|
agree by districts the miners were al
Vlsed TO sign the present Sc"'e WIN
operators individually.
Vice President Lewis, who will SIC
coed president Mltehell tomorrow
ondeaNorinS TO revive lht Il'lel9'''t
unlt rule. IN the meahtllhe olStI,e'
Jolnt meetings. are pei"s h'to III '"e
various states
Central pennsylvania ana the pl"ch
coal district OF lndlana, Nlay eou"lS'
are the only Two dlSulcls IHdt UaF'
signed lnaiana opeFatorS an" i''i!,
ers N session AZ leiie Iiau'e are q"
Justlng their small aiIiereheeS anu
pending setliemeht. inert VII ~
no strike IN TINS state me l'l''lo'9
,c%ict meeting at SpflnsheId mas i,o'
gon1ed an agreement put tle Fel"-
a,os between the opposition lH'e ra's
y. endly' western PehuSylNdHIa mas
s"'reached an agreement anu Tue
mines will close down throwing oul
{ work 10000 men ONO mines VIII
lose also as no agreement has Deen
cached.
The southwest district, consisting on
Missouri, Kansas oklahoma Texas
and Arkansas is holding its meeting
at Kansas City and it is said the MN
ers viii be idle for time. Ihifty-
u thousand men are affected. Ihe|
". Mf of the Kanawha field in west