Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 July 1902 — THE ANTHRACITE COAL STRUCK. [ARTICLE]

THE ANTHRACITE COAL STRUCK.

Weary Struggle Continue* Without Any Hope of Peace. The eighth week of the great anthracite coal strike sees no material hope for peace in the disastrous’ situation. The offer of’ arbitration extended by President Mitchell before the strike was declared and again made in his public statement of Sunday, wherein he places the condition of the miners before the American people, has been steadily refused by the operators. The latter started in the contest, with the cry of “no concession,” “no arbitration,” and the latest public utterance of president Olyphant of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, contains the same sentiment. Meantime the cost of the strike to operators, miners and the general public is piling up immensely. Thus far the losses to the operators aggregate over $16,000,000; those to the miners half is much, while the losses to business interests in and out of the coal Helds aggregate many more millions. In all, nearly $40,000,000 has been lost since the beginning of the conflict, and the end is not yet in sight. It is now believed that the operators will make an attempt within a short time to resume work at some of the collieries. Several of the companies have combined to collect miners enough for the purpose. The effort will not be made at once, but sufficient men will be collected to assure the companies that when they want to begin work the men will respond to the call. The plan evidently is, although the officials are silent regarding it. to resume work when the effect will be greatest upon the union. That will be shortly before the national convention of miners, and if some mines are then worked and coal shipped, this, it is expected, will deter many soft coal men from joining in a general strike. The danger of such a strike, now that the soft coal miners have had an opportunity to discuss the convention call issued by President Mitchell, seems to be growing. A strong sentiment in favor Of such action is known to exist in many of the soft coal centers, and it is very probable that the national delegates who will meet in Indianapolis will favor a suspension of w’ork. t The railroad companies in Indiana and Illinois are apprehensive of a general suspension and have started in confiscating the coal shipped over their lines. This confiscation is based on the broad grounds that they must have coal to carry the United States mail. Further they represent that unless they confiscate coal for their own use they would be unable to move any coal for others. This confiscation is already working a hardship to the miner and the manufacturer. The railroads, not having storage room, let the coal remain in the cars on the sidings and are thus unable to •apply the-.miners' with cars for the ship- ' ment of fresh *coal. As a consequence many of the miners are working only a couple of days a week and manufacturers are unable to obtain coal. Thus in advance of whatever action may be taken by the Indianapolis convention there is a growing scarcity of soft coal.