The Detroit times., 1912-03-19
DIT COAL OPERATORS
AND MINERS MEETING
MEANS WAR OR PEACE
(Continued from Page One,


eectly affect $4,000 miners in iii.
is, $4,000 in Indiana, 81, 900 In Ohio,
ID 100000 In Pennsylvania bituniin-
s fields, or 327 900 in all. These
dds are the very heart OF the Amer
i'm soft coal industry.
rhe men want:
Payment for mining on the mine
n basis, including screenings.
fat increase of 10 cents ton
5even.hour workday, five on Satur-
dy.
twenty per cent increase on all
dy labor, with wage scale for each
,cAss OF day labor
Uniform workday for all
Smaller charges FOR use or ma
chimes
Weekly paydays.
No limit to deductions made for
miners organization.
Those demands are impossible"
says Harry n. Taylor, head OF the
Illinois operators, and who will be IN
influential spirit in the conference.
The cost Of living has gone up, the
men need the increase OF 10 cents
ton" says John III. Walker, president
OF the Illinois miners.
Taking into consideration the fact
that the men have 10 go long ways
underground to get TO their work,
seven-hour day to them means TIC
same thing as an eight-hour day TO
the above-ground worker" says W.
D. Van Horn of the Indiana miners,
1.-The mine day laborer doesn't
make enough 10 live on" says John
Moore OF the Ohio miners.
II feel certain there will be a sus-
pension of work April H. says Presi-
dent John P. White Of the United
mineworkers.
An indirect outcome OF the confer
ence may mean the declaring or
strike in all the bituminous fields.
The bituminous miners are well or
ganized, and well prepared for long
suspension, better prepared than the
operators, who have not been able 10
store up the large surplus OF former
strike years. The unorganized work
ers in West Virginia. Alabama. Ten
nessee, Kentucky and In the West
morland districts OF Pennsylvania
may also come out" Desperate ell
forts to organize these fields Will be
made during the progress or the
strike.
The miners In the northern Colo.
RADIO district have been out nearlE
two years, bucking the heavy hanu
OF an Injunction issuing court and the
STANDARD Oil dollars OF the COLORADO
Fuel & Iron Co.
Usually the operators are not
averse to a suspension along in the
summer 1t gives them chance 10
let their mines stand idle, doesn't tie
ND a lot OF money in surplus coal, and
gives an excuse for keeping prices
stable But this year things are dil=
ferent, the coal surplus has vanished,
due to the cold winter English de.
mands for eastern coal will leave a
larger market for soft coal In west
ern cities. That will be in the oper-
ators' minds during the conference,
BY the same token, 1t gives the men
an added advantage in their negotia-
tons.
Chief among the operators al the
Cleveland conference will be II. ~.
Taylor, OF Illinois; p. II. Penna, prom
inent agent of the operators. and who
was formerly a miner himself, w X.
-Eiel- of PENNSYLVANIA -kolseh,
who may be chairman OF the confer
ence, and f. A. Cole, OF Ohio.
So much for the soft coal situation
On the eve OF this momentous confer
.nce. The miners i'm the anthracite
ields OF eastern Pennsylvania. $780,
100 In number, are also preparing for
walk-out on April l. when their
rage agreement terminates. Their
ecent conference in New York was
Productive of no results The union
the anthracite region isn't as
.rong as In the soft coal fields, but
Mon and non.union miners have
Ereed that they want an increase In
ages OF 20 per cent and eight-hour
~ instead OF nine. Also the union
ants q check-off system which viii
liable It TO collect membership dues
ON the employers. The operators
,solutely refuse these demands, al
tough II is possible that they will
Ter a five per cent increase In
ages.