Omaha daily bee., 1912-03-12
Failure of Negotiations Between
Workers and Employers Would
Have Vast Consequences.
EUROPE FACES FUEL SHORTAGE
Million Miners Out in Great Britain
with Threat in Germany. q
AMERICA SHIPPING SUPPLIES
England's CT .ers Come to United
II Relief.
DRAFTING REPLY
,<Serencex to he Held I'm the
<<N>ed states Soon-tiermau
y and French Miners
Quit work,

NEW YORK. March ll.-A vurid-wios
strike Of coal miners is regarded by the
coal trade as more than a likelihood II
the present negotiations now in pro
gress between tbs anthracite and btu
minous workers and their employers in
this country do not result in a settle
ment of working conditions.
With more than 100000 coal miners or
strike in Great Britain and $4,000 miners
in Germany voting to quit work to forec
higher wages, a severe coal shortage In
Europe is faced.
The anthracite coal operators are
drafting their reply TO the hard coal
workers here for presentation TO the
miners Wednesday. while next week al
Cleveland the bitumInous operators and
their employees will confer for the purpose
OF trying to bring about an adjustment
Of conditions in the soft coal fields,
Meanwhile coal is being loaded on the
Atlantic seaboard for South America and
European ports usually supplied by Eng.
lish firms.
Two million Men Idle.
LONDON, March 1.-THE strike shows
little sign OF settlement. Besides the
miners, another million workingmen and
women, employed in factories and mills
In all parts Of Great Britain. have been
thrown out OF employment because OF
the lmpossibility to obtain fuel to run Tia
factories.
Prizes Of provisions and the neeessarles
OF life have gone up to such an extent
that suffering exists among the poorer
classes
Railroads have had TO restrict their
train service, river steamers have had
TO cease running. the gas and electric
supply works have been compelled to re-
strict their delivery OF iIluminants, the
mall services have been retarded and
many ocean steamers have had to be laid
up>fn harbors.
The government has been trying to
bring the miners and the coal owners to-
gether. but has not yet succeeded. and
II is thought probable that as q final
measure a minimum wages bill for min
ers VIII have to be Introduced in the
House Of Commons. Most OF the mine
owners have expressed their sympathy
with the principle OF a fixed minimum
wage, but others decline even. TO consider
the idea.
German Miner. strike.
BERLIN. March 1.-THE coal strike
went into effect in the westphallan coal
mines today. when about 80 per cent OF
the 10000 miners employed there obeyed
the caIi OF their leaders TO cease work.
In some districts the cessation of work
was practically complete, while in others
only from l5 to % per cent OF the men
struck.
Large forces OF police are on duty
everywhere throughout the region.
Strikers, however, generally are peace
able and only two isolated attacks on
nonunion miners have been reported.
The conflict is quite as much a struggle
between the leaders Of the rival socialist
and nonsocialist unions as between the
mine owners and their employees. The
leaders OF tho nonsocialist Christian union
are SO far holding their followers we'll
in hand. The success Of the strike will
depend upon how far the feeling of soli-
darity with their striking comrades OF
the socialist miners union is carried.
Public opinion in the westphalian dis
trict. which was with the miners during
the last great strike. is now reported to
be largely against the strikers.
PARIS, March 1l.-About tuo-thirds Of
the coal miners Of France have responded
to the appeal of the General Miners fed
GRAFTON TO strike for twenty-four hours
This action OF the miners is not directed
against the mine owners. but is desig-
mated to show to the government the
solidarity OF the miners and as a warn
ing TO Parliament that the miners are not
satisfied with the workingmsn's old age
pension laws.
Hundred seventy Thousand Ost.
ESSEN. Germany. March 11.-official
figures relating to a part Of the mines
in this district show that Of I70sSs miners
employed there are 12,1oe, or 6 per cent,
who have continued at work. The strike
Is fairly general in the east, but in west.
ern Westphalia a majority OF the men
continue at work. The nonstrfkers are
not being moIested.