Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 38, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 February 1906 — HUGE STRIKE NEAR. [ARTICLE]

HUGE STRIKE NEAR.

MINERS AND OPERATORS EXPECT IT WILL COME. i ■ Coal ,Conference Adopts Present Wage Seale—Keystone Tollers’ Tote Cast by Chief Against tile Union—Mitchell Sees No Hope. '— • A ’’ The Joint conference of coal miners and operators at Indianapolis adjourned sine die Friday after the chair had declared carried a motion by F. L. Robbins, a I’ittsburg operator, that the present wage scale be continued. Patrick Dolan, prebident of the Pennsylvania mind's, 1 voted the miners of that district in favor of the motion, which carried it. Patrick Dolhn voted “yes” for the Pennsylvania miners and the vote was challenged. Dolan arose and said; .j

“I have authority to cast the vote Tor the Pennsylvania miners, and until that authority Is taken away from me I vote ‘yes’.” There were loud cries of “no,* “throw him out,” “we’ll take the authority away from him.” Unless wiser counsel prevails after the miners’ delegates go home and meet the rank and file of their follow workers, a strike for a 12% per cent wage increase, April 1, is inevitable. President J.ohn Mitchell of the United Mine Workers, speaking his last word at the closing joint conference, put the matter thus: “We have come to the parting of the and it seems to me the only ’ thing left to do is to go’home and there try to overcome the seemingly Insurmountable obstacles. We deeply regret the necessity for such a step, but we feel that the time has come when you can give us an advance in wages witli-

out damaging your property interests to any considerable extent.” .A strong argument ugainst the dangerous scheme of haviug all the miners of the country sign the agreement or having none of them sign was made by F. L. Robbins, a Pittsburg mine owner. The operators have definitely aud finally rejected the demands for an increase in wages. The miners immediately voted to raise a defense fund of $6,500,000 by the assessment of $1 a week until April on every man belonging to the union. The United Mine Workers already have in their treasuries $6,500,000. So by April 1 the miners will have a total defense fuud of $13,000,000. I,lst of Union Miners. The following is-ti list of miners subject to strike order: Pennsylvania—Anthracite 80,490 Bituminous * 59,520 Indiana —block 2,411 Bituminous 12,603 Ohio —bituminous 34,644 Washington—bituminous 465 Illinois —bituminous 51,478 Towa —bituminous 10,957 Kansas —bituminous 9,019 Colorado —bituminous 440 Maryland—bituminous 246 West Virginia—bituminous 0,155 British Columbia —bituminous .. 2,269 Tennessee —bituminous 3,156 Alabama—bituminous 3,215 Indian territory—bituminous.... 12,530 Montana and Wyoming—bituminous 1,883 Kentucky—bituminous 2,942 Michigan—bituminous 2,272 Missouri —bituminous 7,804 Total 304,511 Members in good standing, but not paid in 40,000 Unorganized men who may be expected to strike 135,000 Grand total 479,511 Funds in national, district and sub-district treasuries $2,679,134 Amount which will be raised by specml tax of $1 per week per member until April 1... 2,480,000 J Total strike fund ~55,159,134 The demunda of the United Mine Workers of America upon the mine owners and operators Include l ‘ A general advance of 12V& per cent otter the present scale. A differential 6f 7 cents bettveeujdck and machine mined coal. A uniform day wage.scale. That all yardnge and deadwootl be advanced the 12 I»er cent. That no boy under sixteen years of age shall be employed in or nbout tho nxlnea. —-.--.•7-. * ——r