The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1908-03-15
LOOKS IKE !, !
COAL STRIKE
ON APRIL I, SAYS JOHN
MITCHELL
PRESENT SCALE EXPIRES
On That Date and Operators ard
Miners Seem To Be Unable To
Come To ANY Further Agreement
-Four Propositions

Indianapolis, Ind, March I2.-The
national convention of the United
Mine Workers of America went into
executive session today in Tomlinson
hall to agree upon a course of action
under the situation resulting from the
failure of the operators and miners
OF the central competitive field to
agree upon wage conference to fix
a substitute to the present scale,
which expires April I, when John
Mitchell will be succeeded as presi-
dent OF the miners organization by
Vice President T L. Lewis
It looks like strike on April I.
Mr. Mitchell says.
The wagescales for the numerous
bituninous fields OF this country and
Canada are based upon the scale fixed
in the competitive field consisting Of
Illinois. Ohio and West Pennsylva-
MA Failing to agree on joint con
ference in this field has caused Pres
ident John Mitchell to call a national
melting of the miners to take deei-
sive action Indications are that four
propositions will be considered by
tho convention.
The first will be to adopt wage dc
mands and then to issue a call for
a joint conference, opening the door
to all operators who may wish to
come IN, sign and keep their mines
in operation.
The second will be to adopt scale
and issue call for JOINT wage con
ferences by districts.
The third will be to make no scale
except by competitive distritcs, which
would mean that the Western Penn
sylvania, Ohio and Illinois operators
and miners would be held to be one
unit. as would those of Missouri,
Kansas, Oklahoma. Arkansas and
Texas-the southwestern competitive
field
The fourth proposition will be the
extreme peace measure, a provision
that the present contract be CON-
tinued a month longer, and the mines
be kept in operation during that
period
1t is thought President Mitchell
will advocate the adoption sof one of
the first two policies, expecting by
pursuing hat course to get some OF
the operators TO sign up and put
their mines into operation. This,
the miners believe, would have the
effect of forcing other operators, who
are competitors in the same markets,
likewise to sign.
This policy was adopted in the
strike two years ago. If this course
is adopted the strike will not have
any serious national effect, as al
least the Indiana operators in the
central competitive field will sign and
the mines in the southwest and prob
ably in central Pennsylvania WI
soon be put in operation.
There is a disposition said Pres
ident Mitchell. ION the part of some
operators to stimulate coal prices If
this manner or by the threat O
bringing on such strike. We have
done all that we could do to prevent
this. and it looks now as if theirs
would be full suspension of mining
IN all these great bituminous fields
on April I.
'..We have. signr1ied our willingness
to keep the mines III operation alter
April I, for limited time, provides
wage settlement is under negotia
ton on April l., but the operators
with some exceptions, notably the
Indiana operators, have refused OH
requests for a joint conference an
have, persisted in postponements am
delays. The miners convention i
convened to adopt our policy
CHINA Tells ARnITT