Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-30
M|NERSPREPARE
FORL0NG LAy-OFF
1900 Expected to Quit
Work Friday In Illinois.
Other States Affected.

oy the AeSOCl81S0 Fft1A.
CHICAGO. March s0.--Midnight TO-
morrow win usher in a shutdown IN
Illinois coal fields predicted 20 be 10n
per cent effective. unless miners make
a proposal acceptable to operators FL
the interim. The suspension will stop
laoors OF $4,000 miners In $50 mines.
Directors OF the Illinois coal opera
tors perhaps win have a statement
on the situation after their meeting to
day, President Ross Miller announced
last night.
Mr.. Miller said the shutdown will
anect approximately 10000 coal dig
gers in the central competitive field.
he did not believe that miners I'm the
unorganized fields, which he estimated
produce 10 per cent Of the country
Dituminous coal consumption, will Join
the suspension April /.
Many Seek Work Elsewhere.
Already miners IN Franklin, Wi!
hanson and Saline Counties Of IlE
nois are planning for the Summer OF
idleness they anticipate. Many will
close their homes and seek work ir1
other counties and other States. e
necessary. In these three COUNTIES
more than $4,000 workers will be with.
out employment when the suspensio,,
Is effected.
Work at the collieries TODAY seernad
TO go on about as usual. but the
monthly production Of almost $500 900
TONS VIII be interrupted at midnight
tomorrow unless new wage-scaie
agreement can be proposed by the
miners and accepted by the operators
IN the meanwhile.
Negotiations Broke Down.
Negotiations between the Iyni,ed
Mine Workers of America and the Ma :.
tionaI Association of Operators to fx
new wage scale contract in place OF
the one recently lapsed broke down az
Miami, Fla. Then President John I.
lewis or the mine workers. suggested
tnat pending settlement Of difficr'
Ties separate agreements be made
WITHIN the various districts. The Il
ilnols mine operators refused To maxi
any arrangement that involved cor
tinuance OF mining at the present
wage scale. which they asserted reno
ered them unable to compete with the
proouct OF nearby non-union mines.
PRESIDENT George Heaps, jr.. of the
iowa CoaI Mine Operators Associa-
non predlcted that Iowa mines, like
those in Illinois, would close tornor-
row midnight. "It looks "a though
there will be no coal mined In low
after April L." he said.
Indiana Conference Planned.
Indiana miners today were prepar
ing to enter negotiations with opera
tors there for continuance of mining
but what results might be expected
could not be predicted pending some
indication of the attitude the indian.
mine operators intend to take.
Mr.. Miller said the mines In the
central competitive field, which also
includes western Pennsylvania. Ohio
Indiana and a section of Iowa. wifi
also shut down as the miners agree
ment with the operators expires
April~1.
The miners are standing nat for a
renewal Of their $3.50 a day waRe
scale and the operators aver they can
not operate their mines on that basis
and compete with non-union fields.
For several months a strike has
threatened in the organized blunt
nous fields and operators estimate
there are between S0,0O0, 900 and 100.
ooo,ooO tons OF soft coal in storage.
NrCarv a nrn~-c, .-