The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-04-01
MINERS FIGHTING
FOR HIGHER WAGES
Three Hundred Thousand Union
Men in Nine States Quit Work
Pending Settlement.
NEW WAGE SCALE CHIEF
POINT In CONTROVERSY
Should Struggle Be Prolonged,
Commercial and Financial
Interests Will Suffer.

lNDl2NAGOlJlS, March ols-lnre
hundred thousand organized miners Of
the bituminous coal fields of Pennsyl-
vania, Ohio, Indiana. Illinois, Iowa, Mis-
souri,, Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas
quit work at midnight pending settle
ment OF a new wage scale.
Officers Of the United Mine Workers
Of North America declared the walk.
out was not a strike, but merely
suspension Of work because no wage
scale had been made TO replace the old
scale, which expired with March. The
miners demand nm increase of pay, in
some instances Of cents u ton, and in
other instances more, with certain
changes in working conditions,
Confidence was expressed by the
operators that there would be no gen.
eral coal famine, large supplies of fuel
the walk-out
While the miners predict the
suspension will be cut short by prompt
signing of wage scales, some of the
operators maintain the mines May be
kept closed for 4 month, or longer.
One Settlement Made.
The first settlement came in an an
nouncement from Brazil. Ind, the
center of the Indiana block coal field,
where the demand for a scent increase
was granted
The conditions in the various states,
reported to the national union head
quarters, follow:
1llinois-900 mines closed and $4,000
miners out; joint conference on wages
called for Monday in Chicago;
operators say men demand increase of
| 10 cents a ton; possibility of four
months shut down; two months supply
| of coal on hand; no Immediate coal
| famine in Chicago.
Indiana-lS,000 miners out; confer
ence arranged for Wednesday at Terre
Haute.
Pennsylvania-40,O0 900 men ordered
out; temporary scale expected by Satur
day; settlement of the powder question
TO be held in allegiance.
| lowa-EVery mine in Iowa ordered
closed pending settlement of the wage
scale.
Missouri. Kansas, Oklahoma and Ar
| kansas-Comprising the southwestern
interstate fields-35,00 miners out; !;
early settlement expected; miners as
sert they have 100000 to carry on the
fight.
work; state leader declares 1T is brief
suspension; at Lorain, steel plant shut
| down and threw out 10000 workmen
because Of coal shortage.
Statement of Lewis
President Lewis, before leaving to
visit the centers of the different mining
fields, made the following estimate of
the number Of miners affected by the
| suspension of work:
Western and central Pennsylvania,
100000
Ohio, 400
Indiana. $4,000.
West Virginia. 10000.
Illinois, 10000.
1 Iowa, $4,000.
Michigan, 5000.
Kansas. Arkansas, Texas and Okla
homa. $4,000
Colorado. 5000
Western Kentucky, 50U0.
Total, 100000.
Reviewing the situation, President
Lewis said:
"When the national executive board
|. adjourned tonight we all felt the
prospect was very satisfactory for the
miners. in many districts il is now
only a question of the miners and
operators sitting down together and
talking over the situation
"In eastern Ohio, where we expected
strong opposition, it is reported three
Z of the largest companies arc ready tC
sign the contract we formulated at oul
recent meeting in Cincinnati.
/ "In Indiana and the Hooking district
in Ohio we will reach settlement ueyt
; week There probably will be moro
, difficulty in western Pennsylvania ano
/ Illinois. where the powder and sho
, firers' wage questions arc involved.