Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 September 1897 — COSTS TEN MILLIONS. [ARTICLE]

COSTS TEN MILLIONS.

Extensive Coal Strike Proves Expensive for the Miners. It is thought that the miners’ strike will soorT end. It is understood that the natiopal officials of the miners’ union are willing to accept the operators’ offer of a compromise at 64 cents, an advance of 11 cents, although the strikers wanted 69 cents. The battle has been a costly one for the strikers, according to estimates made by their own officials. The strikers have lost in wages $10,500,000. It is estimated that in the bituminous coal districts of the country, including Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia; Indiana, Illinois, lowa and other States, 12,000 men were idle. The average earaings of the men is put at $1.40 a day. It will take

two years of steady work for the strikers to recover what they have lost. Although the strikers are by far the heaviest losers, the operators claim that they, too, have lost, or rather will lose, $1,000,000. The opeiators say that up to date they have lost no money, because they have been able to sell at fancy prices immense piles of slack and mine refuse that is ordinarily worth nothing. But the advance of 11 cents proposed will result in their filling a number of large contracts at a loss, and for this there is no* remedy until new contracts are made. The operators say there is but 1,000,000 tons yet to be shipped to the lakes under contract, but they are afraid they will not be able to get it out in time, because there will bo a shortage of cars just as soon as the miners resume work. We are inclined to regard the mad MuP lah of Huddah as a holy terror.