The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1913-06-11
EARLY HEARING
FOR union MEN
Alleged Miners Heads Would
Ruin ". Va. Coal Market
GOVERNMENT THE PROSECUTOR
That United Mineworkers Is in Con-
spiracy to Restrain Trade Is Charge
Contained In Startling Indictment

John p White, president of the in
ternational organization of the United
Mineworkers of America; Vice Presi-
dent Frank j. Hayes and seventeen
officials and subordinate officers OF
District No. II, the miners union at
Charleston, W. Va, indicted by the
federal grand jury charged with viola
ton of the Sherman antitrust law, will
be summoned to appear before Judge
Benjamin f. Keller early this week
The government, it is said will ask
that the trial proceed at once.
The indictments and allegations that
there is a conspiracy in restraint of
trade and commerce between the
United Mineworkers Of America and
coal operators of western Pennsyl-
vania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois
against the West Virginia coal opera
tors have caused profound sensa-
tion. While the names of the wit
nesses who appeared before the fed
eral grand jury in the case have not
been divulged, it is known that coal
operators of Paint and Cabin creeks,
where labor troubles have been
abundant, and former officials OF the
miners organization assisted in gath
ering information.
1t is charged that the defendants, as
agents and members of the union, un-
lawfully conspred to unionize the coal
mines of West Virginia, with the OBJ
ject of fixing through the wages to be
paid miners prices at which the coal
mined in the state Of West Virginia
could not compete with coal mined in
| western Pennsylvania Ohio, Indiana
and Illinois.
1t is averred in the indictment that
the coal now produced in West Vir
ginia is shipped in competition with
that mined in the four states named
above to the markets known as the
lake trade, and to cities in the middle
west, and that the contemplated or.
ganizations of the West Virginia min
ers is to restrict the sale of West Vir
ginia coal in these markets.
The second count cites that not
more than 10 per cent of the coal
mined in this state is consumed with
in its borders and that the rest is
shipped to other states. 1t charges
that the purpose of the United Mine.
workers of America is to fix wages
paid to laborers and to refuse to allow
laborers to work unless the wages
fixed by the organization are received;
that that organization fixes the wages
In the four competitive states and that
by so fixing the wages the organiza'
ton can and intends to make the cost
Of mining coal in this state so great
that it cannot compete with that of
the other states.
The third count charges that the coal
producers of western Pennsylvania,
Ohio, Indiana and Illinois have entered
into a combination with the United
Mineworkers of America and the de-
PENDANTS wherein the alleged con
spirators have agreed to prohibit the
coal mined in West Virginia from
entering the lake markets and by
unionizing the West Virginia miners,
exclude the West Virginia coal from
those markets, giving the coal pro-
ducers of the four states a monopoly
of those markets and the United Mine
workers of America monopoly OF all
labor employed at the mines.
In pursuance of this alleged con
spiracy the indictment recites that
there was such violence and lawless-
ness in and about the mines on Paint
and Cabin creeks with such loss OF
life and property that the governor
was required to call out the armed |
forces of the state to maintain peace
and order.
The fourth count charges a monop. |
oily of labor to prevent operators
from securing labor in the open market
and on a competitive basis