The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1912-03-12
ton and the $3.50 a ton which London

when the coal is brought to the sur
face the miner is paid only for that which
doesn't pass through the screen. II there
Is a shortage of timber he must stop
work. should the roof fall he must
wait until the place Ia cleared. Sometimes
the scam runs thin and II ia impossiblefor
him to get enough clean coal to pay for
his labor. If there is a shortage Of trans
for removing the fuel he Is again forced
to remain idle.
Good places TO work in are secured
by favoritism and bribery. One man
was driven out Of a mine beta he
protested against being forced to work
in an abnormal place where he was only
able to earn si.s5 week.
The only way the can! abolish favor
itism and be assured living wages is to
force the adoption Of q minimum wage
scale"
BERLIN. March 1.-THE German coal
strike il on. Advices received from every
section of the Prussian cold fields say that
the men are obeying the order to quit
work even better than their leaders an
ticipated There are $4,000 miners.
and it is said that 80 per cent. have quit
work. In some districts the stoppsge
only 20 per cent. or thereabouts.
There was noticeable increase in the
number Of strikers in some Of the mining
districts in the evening. This was par
ticularly the case at Essen. where the
women assembled at the mouths Of the
pits in an effort to persuade the night
shifts not to descend into the mines.
The entire field will be completely
paralyzed within forty-eight hours. the
strike leaders say. The men. in accord
ance with their leaders plans. are work.
ing out their final day to the last second
Then, after storing their tools and ap-
rliances they are leaving for their homes.
The strike has been accompanied by no
violence except at Essen. where 400 miners
clashed with the police Seven men were
sabred and many more arrested The
strikers attacked and blinded a COW orker
who refused to join them.
The strike leaders for a week have been
impressing on their fellows the necessity
of obeying the law. II is pointed out that
the force of police and military on duty
has been more than doubled and that the
orders have been given that in case OF
trouble the union officers are to be arrested
in the expectation that the men. finding
themselves leaderless. will return to work
To avoid this the men have been asked
to keep away from the mines. In the
strike notices the leaders point out that
non-union miners lack experience and
that If they are permitted to work unmo-
Tested they will soon demonstrate this.
Then it is believed the operators will de-
eide to grant the demands Of the strikers.
ESSEN. Germany. March 1l.-Seventy-
five thousand coal miners in the Ruhr
region struck to-day. according to the
leaders, and their number is expected to
he doubled within a few days. The
Christian Socialists refused to join in the
strike although they approve Of the de-
mands for increased wages and better
working conditions.
Eighty district meetings were held
yesterday and the 10000 miners who
attended voted almost unanimously for
a strike. They agreed to abstain from
LIQUOR and be orderly. Mounted police
patrolled the district affected by the
strike to-day. but no violence was re-
ported up to noon.
Official figures for q part OF the Essen
district show that Of l70sos miners en-
ployed. 1i2, 100. or e5 per cent. have con-
tinued at work The non-strikers are
unmolested when they are going to and
from their work and a large force OF
policemen posted at intervals along the
streets have had no occasion to interfere.
The effect Of the strike is not yet notice.
able on industry in general, nor on the
prices OF the necessaries Of life. The iron
works in Westphalia, in the Grand Duchy
Of Luxembourg and in Lorraine are re-
ported to have supplies Of coal sufficient
to enable them TO carry on for three
weeks
PARIS. March 1.-THE French miners
planned their strike for twenty -four hours
to-day as an object lesson. The union
leaders wished to demonstrate to the public
to their employers and to the Government
that their demands are just and that they
are ready to use the strike weapon to
enforce them.
The demands include an eight hour
workday. a pension of francs a day for
all workers over 80 years old. and mini
mum wage scale similar to that the Co.,
900 British miners are striking for.
1t was deemed advisable to make the
demonstration to-day. because it was felt
it would be more effective with the Eng
lish and German strikes in progress. If
the bosses do not grant the demands a
general strike Of French miners is prob
able.
1t was believed here to-day that the
Belgian miners would refuse to work IL
"A general strike were declared in France.
There is also some disafYection among the
workers In south Europe. and the labor
war may even spread there. the leaders
say.