Omaha daily bee., 1910-04-02
Trouble Will be Settled Within Thirty
Days, Says President Lewis Of
the Mine Workers.
FEELS NO ALARM OVER OUTCOME
Says Men Will Win in All Their De-
mands Without Trouble.
THE FEELING is GOOD, ANYHOW
Leader Declares Miners Are Taking
Vacation, Not Striking.
ALL THE WORKINGS ARE IDLE
over Three Hundred Thousand Men
Are ont Of work In Various Bt-
luminous FieIds-MaHs Meet
ings Numerous.

luminous FieIds-MaHs Meet
inEs Numerous.
ST LOUIS. April Don't be alarmed ,
ever the outcome Of this affair; don't be
afraid that we win not be able to sign up |
an agreement IT will all be over within |
thirty days Anyhow, this is good fishing
weather"
This was the advice Of Thomas L. Lewis, !
president OF the United Mine Workers Of
America, in addressing 5000 Of 1900 Illinois
mine workers who have quit work. at Belle
willie this afternoon.
1T isn't work we want" he continued.
Were willing 70 do our part, but we want
full and complete share OF the results OF
our labor. and we never will be satisfied
until we get it,"
In an interview after his address Mr..
Lewis expressed absolute confidence in the
outcome OF the present suspension Of work,
and said the miners will win out in all their
demands within thirty days in all the fields,
with the possible exception Of Illinois and
western Pennsylvania In these latter
fields. he says. conditions are different than
IN the others and more time may be neces-
gary before negotiations may be concluded
vacation for Miners.
"a want to say again" he said. that
this Is not strike It's just vacation, and
the miners really will enjoy II. ] do not
look for any shortage Of coal, nor for any
suffering among the men. The mines
throughout the country have had big
run for the last four months and hundreds
Of thousands OF tons of coal In excess of
the usual output are now stored by the op-
orators.
The men are prosperous, and the unions,
= with very few exceptions. have large re-
serve funds on hand so fail to see where
anybody will suffer because OF a temporary
shutdown"
several OF the most extensive Operators
In the country already have made offers
for settlement according to Mr. 4swis'
but IN each instance be las refused q ne
Rotiate or TO permit them 20 reopen their
mines even though promising to pay ire
new wage scale from April !.
..rhis question must be settled as gem
eral proposition and not through individual
operators" he said.
MIR Lewis spoke tonight at miners Gel
ebration at NIarlssa. Ill, and departed for
Indianapolis where he will spend SATURDAY
sunday he intends to depart for Pennsyi-
vania fields.
All Coal Mines Are Idle.
INDIANAPoLIS. Ind, April 1.-Ceiebrat-
irr today The anniversary Of the institution
country. 3O0eeJ bituminous coal miners
faced an enforced holiday Of unknown
duration
In many states two-year wage contracts
eNpircd last midnight and the miners quit
the coal pits. demanding that their new
contract must provide for wnge increase
az 5y5 per cent ton on screened coal and
an equivalent increase on run Of mine
coal
Conferences between the miners organ
izations in the several districts and the
corresponding opefators associations have
been arranged. Adjustment OF the diff
Guilty win be a matter Of weeks or days
In the Brazil block coal district OF In
diana there win not be suspension o
work. for late yesterday the operators con
ceded the higher wage demand OF th'
miners.
In Illinois and western PENNSYLVANIA
where the powder question ana that o
which party shan pay the shot firers, ente
the controversy. there probably Will be
prolonged contest.
In hundreds OF meetings in large an
small mine communities where the peopl
are depending on the industry, assemble
To listen to the speeches of their unio
leaders, the strike was the subject OF dis
.cussiOn today.
The national officers and members @
the executive board of the United Min
Workers OF America, who had been
secret session at their headquarters in thi
city departed for their respective district
late last night
Lewis in Enemy's Country.
President Lewis will speak today at Belle
vme. H.. and win visit several towns ir
gliding East ST. Louis.
Mr Lewis thus entered the enemy
country" as he said himself before he lei
this city, meaning not that the 12OOO miner
OF Illinois were not his friends. but this
several of their leaders, including the di'
.trict president John Walker, had antag'
nized his course since the opening OF II
miners national convention in Indianapol
January 10.
Returning to Indiana tomorrow, Il
miners national president win visit II
Ohio and western Pennsylvania distrIc
next week He will meet another of h
vigorous opponents in Francis Feeha
president OF the western Pennsylvania di
triet. where 5000 men have quit.
The so-caued new explosives demands
by the state laws OF Pennsylvania bres
the coal so much finer than the old-fas
toned black powder, the miners msintai
that q scent wage increase means lit
TO them II they are TO be required to u
the advanced methods OF bringing down q
- coal Feehan in the national conventi'
VI here, declared that a wage increase OF
per cent would be only fair and 10 per ce
must be the minimum.
President Lewis will next go into q
Ksnawha district OF West Virginia to a
wise the 1900 striking miners there. III
is the battle ground OF unionlsm In q
mireE
Secretary-Tre Edwin Perry tod
went 20 participate In the joint eonfsren
Of Iowa miners and Operators AZ u
Moines.
Iowa Mihsrs CInfm vtetSry.
DIES MONIES. Ia. April l-IoEa mi
workers claim a victory AZ the result
the first Joint wage conference at viii
the operators agreed 70 pay an increa