Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1919-11-12
425,820 M|NERsQU|
VAST COAL SUPPLY IN TWENTY
TWO STATES OF NATION
KEPT IN PITS.
NOUNION MEN STAY ON JOB

OQSrneF WIN Sone contract OHiOti
Men They Keep Several Mines in
Kentucky and West Virginia Open
Railroad Men Appeal for Settlement
of the Dispute.
Chicago, Nov. 3.-Nearly all the ma
| TONS vast bituminouS coal fields are
| closed, as q result of the miners strike,
although thousands of nOnuniOn miners
are at work and in scattered districts
where contracts are still in force union
miners reported as usual. Figures
compiled by and based chiefly on union
leaders claims, in many cases conced-
ed by the operators, showed that S425,-
| $50 men were out in % states.
! In its physical aspects the strike ap-
parently has largely stopped produc-
| ton of soft coal but with large non
union fields in Pennsylvania and West
Virginia still operating near normal,
and with a number of smaller fields
also working with union contract min
ers, the actual effect upon production
cannot be definitely stated.
Coal operators claimed thousands of
nonunion miners were producing coat
in the usual quantities, although con-
| ceding that in union fields the strike
was effective.
Union leaders reported in most in
stances that the strike was virtually
| 100 per cent effective.
Report on Strike Numbers.
|
men out, as compiled by the miners
| leaders, were as follows:
! Alabama ..... % OO0I Montana ........ 1000
| Arkansas ...... 1900 New MeAIco..... $40
| colorado .... 5,000lOhio ............ 1000
Illinois -. 80. 80 0O0lOklahoma ......1O,50O
Indiana % 900 Pennsylvania $1,000
Iowa ....... IA 0O0!Tennessee ....... 10000
! Kansas ....... IS 000iTeXas ............ 4,Wo
kentucky 30 000IIJtah ............. 1000
MARYLAND .. 1000 Washington -. 5000
/ Michigan 1905. 2,4OoIWest Virginia. $4,000
| Missouri ....... 5000 Wyoming ..... S'ooO
kentucky Mines Working.
| While union mines were tied up in
; Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Illinois,
Indiana, Iowa and other important
fields, about half of KentucEy's 10000
, miners remained at work. That fact
was accounted for by the fact that the
! miners and operators of the west Ken
lucky field signed an agreement about
/ six weeks ago providing against
| strike.
The most unusual situation was that
! in Utah, where the majority Of the
miners were reported still at work.
That condition resulted from conflict
ing instructions to the miners. John
! H. McLennan, Utah representative of
the union, called off the strike and
later rescinded his order. Many miners
were evidently confused. Reports,
however, indicated that about 1000
! were on strike.
Active in Colorado.
In Colorado, the Colorado Fuel and
Iron company had five mines Operat-
! ing in one district it was announced.
| But the company made no attempt to
operate in the Trinidad district.
North Dakotas 1900 Ignite miners
| remained at work
Only 92O of the 1890 miners of New
Mexico were on strike.
Coal opecat tors in Oklahoma, where
! the tieup was complete, said their
mines were held in readiness for OPP
Grafton as ordered by the government.
Frank Harrington, Illinois district
I president, announced all Of the 10000
miners of the state were idle.
While a few of the larger mines in
| Alabama were in operation, operators
did not deny the claim of union lead
! ers that about $4,000 men, or 90 per
cent of their men, were on strike.
| West Virginia coal operators assert
| ed that operation in that state was so
per cent of normal.
Troops on Duty.
| A few thousand federal troops and
state GuardsmeD either were on spe-
cial duty in connection with the strike
of soft coal miners or were on the
move or awaiting entertainment orders
ct the end of the first day of the walk
| out.
Seizure of coal in transit was begun
at rany points in Michigan, including
Detroit, Saginaw and Bay City under
| orders of the railroad administration.
| This was done, officials said, "as a pre-
cautionary measure" so the needs of
the railroads may be met.
Labor Keen to End Strike.
Washington, Noy. 3.-Insisting con-
| ditions facing the country are far
more serious than during the war, the
advisory board of the Brotherhood of
Locomotive Engineers issued a state
ment urging the immediate assembling
In Washington of an industrial COM
mission to remedy existing turbulent
| conditions.
The railroad men stipulate that the
commission should be one (which will
recognize the rights of all citizens and
which is not pledged to oppose col
lective bargaining"
The railroad men state they "de-