Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 April 1908 — MANY COAL PITSIDLE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

MANY COAL PITSIDLE

Estimate la That 250,000 Man Have Laid Down Their Picks for a Time. WORK GOES OB IB SOME STATES Bew President of tho V. M. W. Would Eevive the Interstate Bole. situation la Not Indloatlve es Trouble —John Mitchell Retires and Lewis Succeeds Him—Old Officers Banqueted. Two hundred fifty thousand picks dropped from the bands of as many bituminous coal miners of the United States In the evening of March 81 not to be used again until a wage settlement has been reached and a scale adopted between the members of the United Mine Workers, and the coal op-

erators of the various fields. This morning 250,000 men are Idle, and thousands of coal mines of the country are deserted. The situation, however, does not indicate prolonged strike. An open winter and industrial depression have left a large stock of coal on band and the differences between miners and operators are very slight. "Politics” Delays Settlement. It is practically agreed that the present wage scale will be continued, but some politics in connection with the change in the national officers of the miners’ organization, and local differences between operators and miners have resulted in temporary suspension from work until a new wage scale h» agreed to either by districts or individual mines. Until two years ago th:> bituminous coal mining wage of tho country was based upon the agreement reached in the central competitive field consisting of Illinois, Ohio, Indiana and western Pennsylvania, and considered as a unit. Operators Refuse to Meet. This unit system was broken two years ago. Since that time the miners have tried to get back the unit rule, or interstate agreement, but operators of western Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois, atter negotiations lasting all the the past winter, have refused to meet In interstate convention with the miners. As a last resort President Mitchell called the miners in national convention and district settlements were authorized with the present wage scale as a minimum, and failing to agree by districts miners were authorized t > sign the present scale with operators’ individually STATUS OF THE MATTER NOW

Work to Go on In Indiana, Michigan and. Perhaps, Ehewhere. Vice President Lewis, who succeeded President Mitchell, Is endeavoring to revive the interstate unit rule. In the meantime district joint meetings are being held in the various states. Central Pennsylvania and the block coal district of Indiana (Clay county! are the only two districts that have signed. Indiana operators and miners, in session at Terre Haute, are adjusting their smalL differences, and have decided to continue at work pending a settlement. There will be no strike In Indiana, neither will there be In Michigan. The Illinois district meeting at Springfield ha* not reached an agreement, but the relations between the opposing interests arefriendly. '

In Texas a strike has been postponed for at least ten days. Western Pennsylvaniabas npt reached an agreement, and the mines have closed, throwing out of work thirty thousand men. Ohio mines have closed also, as no agreement has been reached. The southwest district, consisting of Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas, is holding its meeting at Kansas City, and it Is said the miners will be Idle for a time. Thirty-five thousand men are affected. The min ers of the Kanawha field In West Virginia are holding their joint meeting at Huntington, and while no agreement has been reached one Is expected. Weat Virginia and Kentucky miners and operators will continue operations, It U believed, pending a settlement. President T. L. Lewis said he would make no mote for several days. Ha wishes the negotiations now In progress In the Tarlous districts to reach some kind of a conclusion before he begins to work eat hi* plans.

We purchased the goods in Rensselaer for this big sale and we are going to sell them In Rensselaer for SO cents on the dollar. Located In Hotel Rosey block.

TOM L. LEWIS.