Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1914-07-09
Eastern Ohio Mines Crow Serious
Take Engineers, Firemen
And ? umpmen From: Mines

Probably the most acute in the his
tory of the state is the situation i'm
the coal fields of Ohio just now. The
mine workers, wrought I'D over an
ldleness of three months, forced upon
them by operators who simply refuse
TO obey the, law, thousands of them
having reached the condition of hun
ger, many have become desperate and
willing to adopt desperate measures.
H Inc mine workers have long been
Iofmed into a body of men, bound
tQ gether with constitution and by
laws and rules of procedure, but in
ZINES OF stress even governments
break down, and the mass of mine
workers in their desperation, are liable
TO break the bounds of theirs.
A This seems to be the situation to-.
day. and it is Situation that has
been brought about by the anarchistic
attitude Of the mime owners lin refus-
ing to- operate the mines according
TO the law.
H@ Take Out Engineers.
/ The mine workers have a aw of
their organization which provides that
an time Of suspension" engineers,
hremen and pumpinen will be, allow
70 Keep the mine pumped out, and in
repair 50 long as there is no attempt
to produce coal
This has. broken down in This <
stress, and Tuesday bodies of mine,
workers began going from mine to
mine ordering out the engineers fire
men and pumpmeh The movement
began in Bellaire It is the intention
ito spread it throughout the state
Sunday Meeting.
IL started with a meeting Sunday
AFTERNOON IN Bellafre. It was called
Ffa as a result OF the action of the Geo.
NJ. Jones company. This concern had
posted notices or resumption, stating
that they were now and had always
been willing to deal with the men, !
Monday for all who cared to come to
work * IN
Thls was untrue, as the company, in
line with the bulk Of the Ohio opera
tors, had offered to deal only on
their own terms But the men heard
rumors that strike breakers were go
ing to owrk Monday and the meeting
was called
At this meeting there was a strong
sentiment in favor of closing the
mines entirely, but Vice President
Roy talked against this at this time.
urging that it be left to the conven-
ton meeting this week. Monday
morning hundreds of union men gath
cred about the mines to intercApt
strike breakers, but none appeared,
and the men dispersed
Start Pulling Men.
Tuesday, however the MEN broke
from restraint and, marching to the
mine, compelled the engineers, fire
men and pumpmen to leaye In this
district the engineers and firemen are
not members of the United Mine
Workers, but of the International I'm
ion of Steam and Operating Engin-
GERS. The men had called upon John
Sheehan, business agent of the latter
organization, to-call out his men, and
he stated that lie would do so if
requested by the United Mine Work
ers. The Engineers have no wage
agreement with the operators, having
presented one last march, but having
been ignored ever since. He issued
the call, but some did not respond.
and it was these who were called out
by the mass of workers who assemb-
led.
Missionary Work.
Agitation committees were sthen Or
ganlzed, to go from mine to mine and
from section to section, urging the
Mine WorkersN everywhere to follow
this example and shut the mines down
entirely.
Their argument is that as long as
the mines are kept in good condition
by union men, an homogeneous situa-
ton is presented, by which the union
is keeping the property of their enc
mics up. They claim, that a 48 hour
suspension would cause. $4,000 dam
age to the Geo. M. Jones company,
and that this would bring the opera
tors to time more quickly than any
other method.
A New Angle.
/, This has eventuated in a new angle
the interference of the State. Chief
Mine Inspector Jack Roam is here,
and he states that the State will ex--
|ercise its police power to prevent the
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