Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1908-04-08

to a Prolonged Strike, as the Diff
ferences Between the Eliners and
Operators Are Slight But Some
Political By-Play in the Miners
Organization and Other Local Diff
ferences Keep contending Fac
tions Apart.
indianapolis, Ind, speciaL-Two
hundred and fifty thousand picks
dropped from the hands Of as many
bituminous coal miners of the Unit,
ed States Tuesday evening, not to be
used again until a wage, settlement
has been reached and scale adopted
between the members Of the United
Nine Workers of America and the
coal operators Of the various fields
Wednesday morning there were 260,.
600 men idle. The situation, however,
does not indicate prolonged strike.
An open winter and industrial de.
preston have left a large stock OF
coal on hand and the differences be,
tween miners and operators are very
slight. It is practically agreed that
the present wage scale will be con
tined, but some politics in connec-
ton with the change in the national
officers Of the miners organization,
and local differences between opera;
tors and miners have resulted in tenn
porary suspension from work until .
new wage scale is agreed to either By
districts or individual mines
The Unit System.
Until two years ago the bituminons
coal mining wage of the country was
based Upon the agreement reached
in. the central competitive field con
sisting of Illinois, Ohio.s Indiana and
western Pennsylvania, and consider
ed as unit. This unit system was
broken two years ago when Presi-
dent Mitchell signed a scale with
Pittsburg operators, who agreed to
pay the scale demanded after opera.
tors of the other three States had
refused and the miners won tleil
fight. Operators signed the scale in
dividually 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
Illinois, after negotiations lasting all
the past winter, have refused to meet
in Interstate convention with Zthe
miners. AS last resort President
Mitchell called the miners in national
convention and district settlements
were authorized with the present
wage scale as a minimum. Failing
to agree by district miners were all-
shorized to sign the present scale with
operators individually. {,
Vice President Lewis, who vii
succeed President Mitchell, is en-,
deavoring to revive the interstate
unit rule. In the meantime district
joint meeting are being held In thf
various States.
No Trouble in Tennessee.
Nashville, Tenn, Specialize sit.
uation in the coal fields of Tennessee
is quiet and relations between ope
rators and miners are entirely har
monious. The miners are worked CT
the sopen shop" plan and the wage
scale is said to be satisfactory. Johr
P. Williams, president Of the Bon All
Coal and Iron Company, Said that he
anticipated no friction in the Ten
nessee district; that conditions wert
eminently satisfactory and that the
men were entirely satisfied and cheer
full.
All Iowa Mines. to Close.
Des Moines, Iowa, speeiaL-Evec
coal mine in the State Of Iowa will
close. Not one of 80 or 35 mines III
the State will be worked Wednesday
The shutdown pending the settle,
ment between operators and miners
will last at least 80 days. For the
past month the mining companies and
large consumers of the State have
been storing up coal in preparation
for the shut-down.