Omaha daily bee., 1910-03-31
FIGHT IN TWO LARGEST FIELDS
Men in Eastern Districts Number
About Two Hundred Thousand.
WAGE SCALE CONFERENCE TODAY
Operators and Mine Workers Meet at
Dubois, Penn.
WILL CONTRACT BY DISTRICTS
MIR. Lewis believes Most Of the ohio
Mines VIII Not he Closed
Executive Hoard 90
Meet.

AAtCAAiNF huNEN "
Meet.
CINCINNATI, March SO-whue. as a re-
suit OF a plan adopted by the coal miners
international convention yesterday, there
will be no countrywide strike OF the btu-
minous miners, President T. L. LOWS OF
the miners declared today just before lcav-
ins the city for Indianapolis that Penn
sylvania and Illinois will be completely
tied UP" The miners in the two districts
number 10000
That means a fight IN the two larges.
btumlnous fields in The United States.
Pennsylvania annual production is l50,-
OC0OOO tons and Illinois is 100000 tons.
Ohio's production is 5000 900 tons, giving
employment to Co. 900 miners
II think most OF the Ohio districts will
be at work after April l." President Lewis
said "Ohlo is one Of the states In which
tho operators can sign up by districts or
even sub-distrcts and 1 think one Of the
first to sign will be the biz Hooking dis
trct."
In Pennsylvania the entire bltuminous
production Is IN the single district known
the Pittsburg district, where the mners
affected number 10000.
Unless the plan adopted by the miners
convention is changed all mines will be
Idle, as usual, on April /, which is the
holiday anniversary OF the eight hour day.
Then no miners are 20 return to work the
next day unless ordered to do so by their
district officials. These officials are not
allowed to give that order unless all the
mine owners in the district or sub-district
! frraF ncpa
adopted by the convention.
Lewis said strike IN the Canadian mines
would be de aged, even in the event of an
immediate disagreement, because Of the
Canadian law. which requires the miners
TO give thirty days notice of an intention
to strike.
| COn-ercnce ON Wage Scale.
! PHILADELPHIA. March So.--Members
\ OF the Central Pennsylvania sBituminous
/ Coal Operntors' association left here to-
! night for Dubois, Pa, where they viii
meet officials OF the United Mine Work.
/ ers of America tomorrow and endeavoF
, to adjust the wage scale for the coming
year The operators of central Pennsyl'
vanla which comprises district No.
Of the miners union, for some time have
been attempting to have the union equal
ize wages of all miners in that terri
tory. The. operators claim they cannot
compete with the non-union mines II the
union insists upon a wage increase.
The increase Of 5.55 cents announced
yesterday by the Berwind-White Coal
Mining company. which employs nom
union miners, created much interest
among the operators employing union
labor.
Charles w. Mills, secretary of the Coal
Operators Association of Central Penn
sylvania, said today;
The Berwind- White Coal Mining COM
pany is not working under contract with
the United Mine Workers OF America and
on that account is able to operate col
lieries ten hours for a days work. while
the operators OF central Pennsylvania,
who have wage agreement with the
miners organization, work but eight
hours This longer day is equivalent to
a saving of at least cents a ton in the
cost Of producing coal to the operators
who work ten hours.
The Berwind-White Coal Mining COM
pany is also paying for day labor en-
ployed in and about the mines 2G 4-1O
I cents an hour, while operators dealing
with the union pay for the same labor
in the same field 80 cents per hour. This
, difference will also amount to a saving
. OF fully 8 cents per ton in favor of thC
, operator paying lower wage.
"The association of operators in cen
. tral Pennsylvania has been for years ask
ing the miners union to organize the non
union districts with which they compet'
and durin gthe last year we have made
several efforts to secure an equalization
, with non-union competitors
Although the advance made by the Ber
= nd nv IL as a II ahOuIi
: be to place that company on an equa
' basis with other operators in central Penn
sylvania, 1 tcertainly is a step in the righ
direction and we believe the other non
y union operators In our field Will folloV
3 suit. Our association is not In favor OF
d reduction OF wages. but does demand tina
the competitors employing nonunion labo
$ should pay the same prices for that labO
as the operators who pay union labor an,
we believe It Is up 70 the union to brinl
about such a condition"
situation May Change.
INDIANAPOLIS. Ind, March SO--The OF
fieers ana members OF the national execu
, tive board Of the United Mine Worker
OF America arrived at noon today from Cir
cinnati and this afternoon held a meetin
to discuss details OF the campaign tn
miners Of the several districts are maxim
for increase OF wages and Improvement (
>. working conditions.
: The district strikes that may be declare
: win not go into effect until u o'clock I,
n morrow night and during tomorrow muo
= may happen that win change the who
aspect Of the situation.
KANSAS CITY. NO. March s0-Ths
: there VIII be a strike Of the coal miners Z
= the southwest comprising the states
= Missouri Kansas. Oklahoma and Arkansa
70 beginning April l. when the present waI
agreement expires. was the expressS
10 opinion OF representatives OF the mnel
~ and operators here today
n The whistles VIII blow as usual for Il
d men 20 go 20 work on April l. but II n
h men work they viii do 30 under the presel
s. wage scale" said A. J. Casey. editor ,
IN the American Coal Journal the Offici
a.