The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1909-04-17

BOSSES DETERMINED TO. 4.
*. u. PRECIPITATE TROUBLE
President Lewis Issues Statement
Giving Resume Of Miners "
Side Of Controversy.

wMKES-BARRE, Pa, April 15.-:
There is a .rlmor here that the an:
thracite operators at thir meeting in
New York ordered 10 per cent re-.
duction in the wages Of all classes Of
mine workers, to be effective after a
certain not very distant date, provid-
ing the agreement which expired
March 81 is not signed for three
years.
Men Will Continue Work. :,
Representatives of the mine work.
ers who were at the conferences in
Philadelphia say that no decision has
been reached except that there will
be no strike and that the men will re-
main at work as long as the operators
will let them.
The operators are not expected to
permit the miners to work under the
conditions of the agreement which
has just expired, however, until they
are ready to declare a strike next
fall, Or when the bituminous con-
tracts expire next spring, and it is
believed that they will endeavor to
eorce the issue by reducing wages.
= =" Wages Being Reduced.
Miners Of the Mount Lookout COL
lfery OF the Temple Coal and Iron
company reported that the price OF
wages in gangways had been reduced
from $2.75 to 81 a yard, The workers
have as yet taken no action upon this
matter. a., -
!; Miners employed at the Westmore-
Coal company reported that the oper-
ators- have decided to furnish them
with grade Of powder interior to
that which they have been using.
This will prevent them blowing down
as much coal and making good wages
The men have threatened to strike.
3 conrpa.sz &
IIAzEl4 Ms April 15.The
Hazel Brook Colliery Of j.: s.. VENT
& Co.. suspended Saturday for an in
definite period. The reason could not
be learned. Among some of the: min
ers it is feared that the discontinu-
ance of work is in line with the re-
ported policy Of the producing inter-
ests to close their collieries on ac-
count of the failure of the Mine
Workers, and the coal road presi-
dents to reach an agreement.
+ What the Miners Say.
President Tom Lewis, Of the United
Mine Workers of America has issued
statement giving resume of the
mine worksrs' side Of the controversy.
He quoted the four sections which
were added to the original award of
the strike commission which referred
to the right to hire and discharge men
reduction Of wages, suspension of
work pending the investigation ofdif-
ference between operators and miners,
and recognition of the union, and
concludes as follows: .: =
TT is said that the oprators have
granted concession. This T cannot
understand, as the operators refuse to
agree to restore the wages of those
men which had been reduced during
the past three years, in direct viola
tion of the award OF the strike COM
mission. d.. -. =
''The operators representatives re-
fused likewise to permit the miners
representative to sign any PROPOSE
tion on behalf Of the United Mine
Workers of the anthracite region.
Great stress has been given to the
strike commissions award by the .op-
perators in stating that the award did
not provide for the signing Of any
agreement with the United Mine
Workers, and that for this reason
they refused to enter into contract re-
lations' with the United Mine Workers
OF the anthracite regions. - =.