New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-06
Guards Now Being Sought
for Anthracite Region
! in Event of Strike.
MINERS CONTRACT
ENDS IN FEW MONTHS
Storage Yards Filled-Manu-
facturerS Putting in Re
serve Supplies.
rrsn q star Correspondent Of The Tribunel

frr.u Staf Correspondent ~ The Tribune
Scranton, Penn, Dec. Sin less than
four months the contract between the
anthracite miners and operators will
expire. and already signs are plentiful
through the district that April 1 will
SEQ the beginning Of a finish fight over
The demands Of the union. These de-
ma~ds are:
20 rcr cert increase 30 wage
.e c.ghj-hour dag.
De CHECK off,"
IL is on the CHECK OF =" which means
the collection Of union dues by the
operators, that the break will come
So far as the 10 per cent increase in
wages is concerned, H. the last analysis
that will be passed on TO the public
The eight-hour day demand IS con-
sidered pretty much of q joke, for no
miner works eight hours a day, on an
average.
But the "cheek off," under the opera
ton OF which the companies by deduct
ing the amount Of dues owed the union
from each pay check, keep the union
recruited up 10 maximum strength az
an times. is another story. From the
standpoint o. the operators, it means
that they shall aid in providing the
means for future wars upon themselves
and that with the union at all times
holding every man in the district on its
books and with full treasures there
would be no end to the demands made
upon them.
Insiders in the operators organ'za-
tions declare that their observations in
the soft coal fields. where the "check
off" is in force. lead them to be more
wary Of it than in the past.
"The operators who nave 1t would be
mighty glad to be rid Of it, one Off
ciai said. at is working badly from
their standpoint. We can not and viii
not have it here, and that is all there
is to it,"
Storage Yards Filled.
Just what preparations the oper-
ators are making is a secret. How
ever. even now the storage yards are
filed TO capacity. How many millions
of tons are thus ready above ground
the operators will not tell, and no one
else can say with certainty.
The GENERATORS for some time have
been making tentative contracts for
guards to protect their property IN the
event that a suspension or strike IL
declared Agents supplying this class
of help have been busy IN the hard coal
region for weeks. though most OF the
business is being done in New York
and Philadelphia, where the main oihces
Of the operators are.
Another indication, and this is as sig
nifcant as any from the operators side,
Is the storing Of coal by large manu-
featuring corporations in this district:
AS rule. these are closely connected
through their stockholders with the
management of the mines. Ordinarily
they do not store coal. This fall and
winter they have made contracts which,
in many instances, would provide suifi-
Gent fuel 10 carry them over a strike
period. Such storage, IL is estimated,
costs on an average 80 cents ton, but
the consumers are willing to pay this
insurance against the possibility of
having to close their plants if strike
is declared
On the part Of the unions. organizers
have been busy recruiting in every
part Of the hard coal country for
months. They report great success
though their statements do not tally
with statements by some of those close
20 the management Of the mines, who
say the union is not as strong as the
leaders would have the outside world
believe. This, il is conceded, would not
prevent o strike if the leaders decided
upon one
Many Not in Good Standing.
On April /. last. the operators sa!
that not one-fourth OF the men EN-
ployed in the mines were in good stand
Ing with the unions. Some place tn,
union membership in good standing al
low as 10 per cent Of the total. Blu
on April !, next, this membership vii
be 100 per cent, so far as strike Ell
cheney is concerned.
Financially the mine workers are no
in as good condition as in other years
In the last year or so there has beer
-