Evening star., 1909-04-11
SMALL STRIKES NEXT
Lack Of Mine Agreement Ex-
pected to Develop Trouble.
TWO COMPLAINTS ALREADY
Workers at Two Collieries Object
to Reductions.
POLICY Is MADE APPARENT
Operators Expect to Force Men to
Sign by Individual Discrimina-
tion as to Wages.
TWO COMPLAINTS ALREADY
POLICY Is MADE APPARENT

tion as to Wages.
| Special Dispatch to The Star.
W1LKESBARRE. April 1Q.Continua
petty squabbles. disputes and strikes ART
expected to result for the next severa
| months In the anthracite coal regions
| following the inability of the mine work
ers and the operators to sign an agree
ment.
The first Of these developed today. Mine
| workers at the Mount Lookout colliery
Of the Temple Coal and Iron Company
today complained that the company has
cut down the price of driving gangways
from $275 q yard to 81 yard. and tina,
other reductions in prices are con
templated.
At the same time mine workers at the
Westmoreland colliery. a smaller opera.
ton, complained that they are being
powder. and that by its use their weekly
wage is considerably reduced. They
threaten to strike If the powder formerly
used is not restored.
The Mount Lookout men are also talk
ing strike. AS yet they have taken no
action.
Now that there is no agreement, 1t is
expected that there will be general wage
reduction throughout the region. Inde-
pendent operators will probably start 1t
by cutting down the wages on the various
kinds Of work, and the larger coal COM
panies can reduce wages on .yardage.
timbering and many kinds Of special
work.
All this can be done and the mine work
ers' wages considerably reduced without
reducing the wages Of company hands
and others who are receiving q fixed rate,
SO that the mine workers will have no
complaint to make of a general reduc-
tion, but will have constant complaint
Of individual reductions.
This was practically the complaint of
the mine workers officials at the confer
ence regarding new work, condition
which the operators offered, in the event
Of an agreement being signed, to have
referred to the conciliation board for ad-
justment. Now that there no longer is
a conciliation board there will be no way
OF settling these petty grievances except
by strikes. Indications are that there
will be numerous small strikes through
out the region and constant disputing
over prices and working conditions as
long as work continues without an agree
ment
Policies Of Both Sides.
The mine workers have declared that
they Will not order a strike The oper-
ators. 1t is understood, do not propose
to lock out the mine workers. The pol
Icy of each side is now apparent.
The mine workers desire to- continue
working without an agreement until the
time comes either when the demand for
coal is brisk during the cold weather. or
when the bituminous contracts expire
next spring when the chances Of q sue
cessful strike are much better than at
present.
The operators hope to force the issue
upon the mine workers long before that
period by reducing the wages This. the
mine officials believe, will bring the men
to. q decision to sign an agreement before
long. and that when the majority OF
them find the union has not only gained
no agreement for them. but Is unable to
prevent wage reductions. most of them
will be quite willing to sign an agree
ment
Union oficials however, believe that If
these conditions prevail they will spur the
men to get into the union and increase
it's strength numerically and financially
until it Is in better condition to conduct
a strike than at the present time.
Mine workers generally are far from
Many favor having the agreement which
expired March 81 signed for three years
more A number of the foreigners. single
men. who look for summer OF little
work and reduced wages, are preparing
to leave the region and will get work in
other places or sail for Europe to work
on the farms there until the coal condi-
tions are more settled than at present.
It is not expected that any radical ac-
ton will be taken by the anthracite op-
orators for several days. They will walt
a short time to see If the mine workers
committeeman do not change their minds
and sign an agreement, but they will not
wait long.
An operator here today said:
THE members of the miners committee
have quite long enough to decide what
they are going to do, but we will be
patient with them a little longer"
Policy to Be Outlined.
PHILADELPHIA, April 10-The off,
cials of the United Mine Workers Of the
three anthracite districts Of Pennsylvania
at a meeting today discussed the situa-
ton arising out Of the deadlock existing
between the miners and coal operators
in regard to the wage agreement.
committee was appointed to draw
up a policy to be pursued by the miners.
The committee Is composed OF President
Lewis and the district presidents and Sec
retaries of the United Mine Workers
1t is said that at the meeting the queS-
ton was discussed as to whether 1t was
best to call another convention of the
miners or to work without an agreement
The miners say that SO far as they are
concerned there will be no suspension OF
mining.
President Lewis issued a statement this
afternoon giving resume of the mine
workers side of the controversy. lie
quotes the four sections which were added
by the miners to the original award OF
the strike commission. which referred to
the right to hire and discharge men. re-
duction Of wages suspension Of work
pending the investigation Of differences
between operators and miners. and recOg-
milton of the union, and concludes Us
follows:
1T is said that the operators have
granted q concession. This | cannot un-
derstand ss the operators refuse to agree
TO restore the wages of those men that
had been reduced during the past three
years. In direct violation of the award OF
he strike commission
The operators representatives refused
likewise to permit the miners represent
! atives to sign any proposition on behalf
of the United Mine Workers of the an