The Detroit times., 1910-02-12
LAY IN MUCH COAL,
FEARING STRIKE
Local Manufacturing Plants Pay
Bonus For All Delivered Over
Contract Requirements. =

A very serious situation has arisen
In the negotiations between the mine
operators and the miners OF the cen
trsl coal producing district, compris-
ing, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana and
! Illinois. In consequence. strike o.:
the miners April / seems almost in
| evitable. As a result the railroads
snd other large users OF soft coal are
laying by all the coal they can get in
anticipation OF the coming labor
trouble.
Farleys between the miners and the
operators over the question OF wages
end conditions have come To a stand
still. One side or the other must back
down before negotiations can start
again and both are stubborn. The old
agreement runs out March 30. and
those In touch with the situation pre-
diet trouble and plenty OF II after that
date.
What a coal strike means to De-
trolt with its hundreds or factories
depending upon a constant fuel supply
for their operation is not a matter OF
conjecture, but OF dire certainty.
The impending strike does not az
feet the anthracite region OF Pennsyl.
vsnla. the West Virginia soft coal dis
trict or the few Michigan mines, bur,
such a disturbance is sure to shorten
coal supply and increase coal prices
For that reason, the railroads, the D.
T. r. and the big industries using
great quantities OF coal are paying q
premium OF is TO 20 cents per ton for
all soft coal delivered to them over
their contract requirements. This
coal is being piled up to await the
time when II will be needed.
The chief difficulty lies in the I'M
Willingness OF the operators to grant
the miners demand for 10 per cent
Increase in wages for day labor and Il
change in working conditions and
weights which means an equal in
crease to the miners. The miners say
that the higher cost OF living neces-
states their getting more wages
AT the convention recently held in
Indianapolis the leaders OF the miners
thu eatened to call a general strike un-
lees these demands are granted. They
will ask the railroad unions TO help
them in enforcing their wishes.
Operators say they are now paying
all they can, and that the non-union
districts of West Virginia and eastern
Pennsylvania now pay 40 to so per day
less In wages than the four central
districts where there Is now an agree
ment with the union miners
The Ohio legislature has been petit
toned by the operators to investigate
conditions and intercede for them TO
prevent strike.
A wage sheet OF one OF the Ohio
mines shows that these are the wages
paid. Blacksmith, 1921 per day for
eight hours work; blacksmith's help
eli. $2.S6 per day OF eight hours; tim
bermen and common laborers. $2.56
per day OF eight hours. Even mule
drivers get the latter wage, and boys
employed In opening and closing doors
get 81 per week.
The Illinois operators and miners
reached a separate agreement. but
this was disclaimed by the general
convention of the miners. President
Lewis saying, mo one district should
slaughter another by sending coal
into the market while the other dis
lilCbb al Sti ubSiihS III ONANOA
wages"
AS a consequence, when the miners
and operators came TO meet In con-
ference in Toledo last week. the IL
linois operators refused TO take part,
insisting that their separate agree
ment should stand The miners de-
INJURED TO this and the conference
broke up without any action.
Either the miners must rescind
their resolution calling for general
settlement in all four states or else
the Illinois operators must change
their attitude. In either OF these cas-
eS the conference could be reconven-
ed but experienced men do not think
that anything OF this kind will be
done
An attempt will be made by the
miners. in case OF strike, To organize
the non-union districts mentioned, and
also the southern coal mining districts
so as to bring about a general blum
nous coal strike. A labor war OF the
extent planned would paralyze the
factories OF the nation while It was
IN progress.
Detroit factories now draw a large
portion OF their coal supply from West
Virginia, so that a strike would not
affect them at first TO the same ex-
pft ha ~