The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-04-01
Bituminous Coal Operators
and Their Employees Di-
vided on Wage Rate
BRILL DISTRICT OPERATORS
c0nCEOE THE MINERS DEMAND
Hundreds Of Meetings Being Held To.
day and Addresses Are Being Made
by Union Leaders-Prolonged Con.
test in Illinois and Pennsylvania.

Indianapolis, April 1.-Celebrating
today the anniversary of the installa-
tion of the eight-hour day in the mines
in this country. 100000 bituminous
coal miners faced an enforced holiday
of far greater duration. In many
states the miners two years wage
contract with the mine operators ex-
pired last night and the miners quit
the coal pits, demanding that their
new contract must provide for a wage
increase of five per cent a ton on
screened coal and an equivalent in
crease on "run-of-mine" coal.
Conferences between the miners or
ganizations in several districts and the
operators associations have been ar
ranged. An adjustment of the diff
Guilty may be question of weeks or
days. In the Brazil black coal dis
trict of Indiana there will not be q
suspension of work for the operators
last evening conceded the higher wage
demand of the miners. On the other
hand in Illinois and western Penn
sylvania, where the powder question
and that of which party shall pay the
shot-firers enter the controversy, a
prolonged contest is probable.
AT hundreds of meetings today in
the large and small mining communi-
ties where the people depended on the
industry, assembled miners listened to
speeches by the union leaders. The
strike was the sole subject of discus
sion. The national officers and the
members of the executive board of
the UnitedsAiine Workers of America,
who had been in ,,secret session at
Headquarters in this city, departed for
their respective districts late last
night or early today to advise the
local organizations in the negotiations
with the mine owners. President T..
L. Lewis will speak today at Nelle-
willie, ILL.,. and will visit several other
Illinois towns. including East st.
Louis.
The conditions in the various states
we're as follows:
Illinois-Nine hundred mines closed
and $4,000 miners quit work at 5 p. M,
a Joint conference on wages called for
next Monday in Chicago; operators
say men demand increase Of ten cents
toa, which would mean an annual
increase in expense Of $14,000,000;
possibility of a four-months shut
down; two months supply of coal on
hand; no immediate coal famine to
Chicago industries.
Indiana-Ten thousand miners or
dered to quit at midnight; conference
arranged for next Wednesday at
Terre Haute; miners say shutdown
will be short-lived.
Pennsylvania Approximately 40,-
600 men ordered to quit at midnight;
temporary scale, allowing a five-cent
run of mine a ton increase hoped to
be reached by Saturday.; settlement
of the powder question to be held in
abeyance.
IQTa-Every mine in Iowa ordered
closed, pending settlement of the wage
scale.
Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and
Arkansas, comprising the south
western interstate fields-35,0 900 min
ers quit; early settlement hoped for.
but miners assert they have fund of
100000 to draw on.
Ohio-All miners ordered to quit;
state leader declaring it is not a
strike. but merely suspension; at
Lorain, one steel plant shut down
and threw out 1000 workmen, the
managers announcing a shortage of
COAL