The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1912-01-18
BRITISH Miners
MAY QUIT WORK
Believed Recent Vote of Workers
will Show Majority in
Favor Of Strike
MAY INVOLVE 100000 MEN
Most Serious Industrial Disturb.
auce is Threatened
Miners Admit Minimum Wage Is Not
Entirely Just But Suggest Com.
mission to Adjust It.

London, Jan. lS.-A special confer
ence of the Miners Federation of Grea [
Britain assembled today i'm Birming-
ham to canvass the vote cast by the
membership last week on the strike
proposition. The outlook is causing
uneaslness in many quarters. for the
belief prevails that the count will show
an overwhelming majority i'm favor of
the stoppage of work. The leaders of
the miners organization continue to
voice their opposition, but the rank
and Ole Of the membership is believed
to favor extreme measures to enforce
their demands and the organza ton it,
self will he obliged to abide 10y the
vote of the men.
100000 Men Affected.
A general strike of the coal miners
will mean the most serious Industrial
disturbance that the United Kingdom
has experienced since the dispute i'm
the engineering trades nearly a quart
er of century ago. The total mum
Der Of men employed I'm and about the
coal mines exceeds 1,OOO.OOO The total
output OF the mines amounts to about
725,O0O tons a day II is calculated that
there is about three weeks supply of
coal i'm stock
The miners are i'm a better condition
now to engage in finish fight than
they ever were before. Their organiza-
ton is one of the strongest labor bod
les i'm the country. both numerically
and financially. The reserve fund of
the federation at the present time is
believed to amount to $4,000. 600 or
more.
Wages Are Sole Issue.
What the miners are capable of when
they get their backs to the wall was
shown i'm 1898. when 250.OOO of them
laid down their picks and shovels and
remained in idleness for seventeen
weeks rather than submit to a 25 per
cent. reduction i'm their wages, although
they had nothing like the accumulated
funds they have now.
The demand of the men for a minis
mum wage is practically the sole point
at issue. Agreement on all other is
sues has been deemed possible from the
start, but agreement on the question of
a minimum wage. which has now en-
tirely displaced all other demands, ap-
pears very Improbable. The mine own |
ers are a unit i'm their opposition to the |
of a minimum wage |
They argue that IL would be manifest
y unjust TO ask an employer TO pay |
4 minimum wage to man irrespec
i've of his ability or disposition to
perform fair days work.
Men Admit Injustice.
The truth of the mine owners con
ention i'm regards to the injustices OF
he minimum wage is acknowledged |
n measure by the miners and In \
his is to be found the one ray of hope
hat a general strike may be averted.
rhe miners have suggested the set
ing up of a board or commission in
'ach district for dealing with excep-
ional cases. such as those of men
whose age or infirmities disqualify |
hem from performing an average
lays labor and who therefore might
'e employed at n wage below the
minimum.
The germ of q possible compromise
les in this suggestion from the miners.
nd when the Board of Trade steps in
IS a mediator-for, judging from the
'resent> outlook, it seems unlikely the
wo sides will come together again of
h n own accord-there will be AT least
ne definite suggestion from the men
o go upon.