Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1912-04-01
ANTHRACITE
MINERS OUT
Scores of Thousands Have
Thrown Down Pick and
Shovel
WAGE AGREEMENT HAS EXPIRED
Industry Suffers, Railroads
Must Curtail Service and
Businessmen Lose.


Scores of thousands of coal
miners quit work today in the anthra-
cite fields of Pennsylvania and in the
central competitive field" of the bit
luminous portion of the industry. o.
ficially, the movement is "suspen.
sion of work and whether it is to de.
velop into a widespread strike de-
pends upon the outcome of the vot-
ing in the union ranks and of confer
ences between the men and employers
within the next ten days.
Anthracite men are more apprehen-
sive than their bituminous brethren
as to the outcome. This condition is
predicated upon the fact that there IS
no definite agreement immediately in
sight for the hard coal men, whereas
the bituminOIs conferences at Cleve-
land, adjourned after the mems rep
resentatives had abandoned practical
ly all their demands except for in
creased wages, and on this point mod
flied their terms considerably.
Rituminous Miners Reasonable.
The union men are to take a refer
endum ballot at once as to whether
the modified terms for a new wage
agreement are to be accepted and
there is a general feeling that the re-
suit of the ballot will be return to
work.
Upon the outcome Of the voting in
the central competitive field"-com-
prising Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana,
and lllinois-will depend also the
basis for new wage scales in other
sections Of the country where the
present agreements do not expire I'M
til May l or later. Southern and
southwestern mines and the compar
atively few in the Rocky Mountain
states are affected by this status of
affairs
| West Virginia and Kentucky bitl.
minus fields will not be greatly affect
ed unless the present suspension
| becomes strike. Non-union labor
predominates in these mines and the
men, in similar situations, in the in
dustry, have shown a disposition to
continue at work.
100000 Men Interested.
| Approximately, 100000 men are dir.
ectly affected today and some 800, 900
more scattered throughout the coal
districts of the country, are watching
the outcome of the suspension" for
i its possible effect on their own wages
and working conditions. 1t probably
will be at least thirty days before all
mines will have resumed, if the refer.
endum votes and conferences result
favorably, and the last ten days Of
that period may present a problem as
tc fuel supply to industries of all
character
Settlement in Sight.
New York, April. 1.-Anthracite
ccal operators believe the suspension
OF work in the hard coal region
which went into effect today, will not
continue long, and that the meeting OF
the operators committee and repre-
sentatives of the miners in Philadel
phia on April 10, will result in a basis
OF settlement.
This belief is strengthened, the op
orators say, by the fact that there
have been no traces of bitterness
shown on either side.
The Real Test Tomorrow.
Philadelphia, Pa, April 1.-"Eight
hour day was observed by Pennsyl
vania miners today and there was a
complete shut down throughout the
hard coal regions. About 175 900 cneI
are idle. The real test as to whethe
the unions suspension order will be
fully observed will come tomorrow
The union leaders express confidence
in complete suspension until new
agreement is reached.