The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1910-04-09
100000 mem strike
GREAT wALkouT OF MINERS IN
HiTUMlNous FIELDS OF
UNITED STATES.
CHICAGO FACES FUEL FAMINE
Action Of $4,000 illinois Workers In
Wage Struggle May Tie Up Many
Chicago Industries - Prediction
Made Strike viii Be shortLived.


Indianapolis, Ind.-Organized mi
ners to the number of 100000 in the
bituminous fields of the country struck
Friday, but their leaders declared
that the strike would not last more
than 80 days
This prediction, however. is accom-
panied by the declaration that the
workmen will stay away from the
mines until the operators consent tc
pay an advance in wages Of five cents
a ton.
Thomas l.. Lewis, president of the
United Mine Workers of America, ex
presses confidence that the suspension
will continue only short time.
There is every prospect said
President Lewis, that the suspension
Of mining will terminate in every min.
ing district in the country inside Of &c
days, with wage agreements signed
up and an advance in wages for the
miners everywhere. There will be
about 100000 men idle at least for a
week or ten days. No one will suffer
for fuel for two or three weeks. Even
though all mines were idle the coun.
try would not suffer because of lack
of COAL as there is plenty of coal on
hand. No hardships will be imposed
upon anyone by reason of the sus.
pension.
President Lewis said he did not
expect to hear any news from any Of
the strike territory before next week.
Though the strike does not really
take effect until Saturday the miners
scored the first victory in Indiana
when the operators of the Eighth dis.
trict (block coaD granted the miners
an increase of five cents ton and
there will be no strike. The an
nouncement was made at the close OF
a secret conference between the oper.
ators and the miners representatives.
Had not the wage agreement been
reached all of the mines in the dis
trict would have closed The miners
and mine owners had little difficulty
in coming to a settlement.
Report from the Illinois coal
the mines until new wage scale is
signed President A. j. Moorshead of
the Illinois Coal Operators associa-
ton has called a meeting of the joint
scale committee of the operators and
miners in Chicago for Monday.
The increase in wages and the cost
of shot-firing demanded by the $4,000
Illinois miners, according to o. l..
Garrison, "a member of the executive
board of the Illinois Coal Operators
association, amounts to $14,000,000. II
the operators grant any increase,
which they do not now contemplate,
the public will have to pay more for
coal.
Thirty-four hundred miners EN-.
| ployed In the bituminous region of
Will county, Illinois, including every
shaft in Clay City, Braidwood, Brace
vile, Carbon Hill. Torino, Diamond
and South Wilmington, left the work.
ings not to return until the wage con-
troversy is settled.
Before the strike is settled it is
said 100000 men throughout the coun-
try may be involved. Forty thousand
of these are to quit in Pittsburg.
The calling of general strike
would mean:
Miners who would quit, 100000.
Mines that would be closed, 1000.
Daily loss of coal production, 1900.
900 to 1,750,OeO tons.
Daily loss to strikers in wages,
! $1.O56,25O.
Wage loss If strike lasted 90 days,
$63, 1875 900
Chicago is threatened
with one of the most serious coal
famines in years as a result of the
strike of the soft coal miners.
There is only enough bituminous
coal In the city to last 10 to Is days.
This was the estimate of officials OF
the big Chicago coal concerns and no
attempt was made by them to BELT.
tie the seriousness of the situation.