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•) SOME LABOR NOTES. •
Referring to the Labor Day oration of Commissioner
John P. Reese of the Iowa Coal Operators'
Association, the Standard of Keokuk, Iowa,
says: "There was a time and there were places
where labor orations were the idle vaporings of
blatherskites knowing nothing of economics and
less of the rights of mankind who were chiefly
concerned in raising a fuss and keeping it boiling.
Evidently this is not the time nor place for such
speeches. Mr. Reese was as careful in his economics
as a college professor, as conservative in
his ideas as a banker, as peaceful in his attitude
as any American should be, and as appreciative of
the rights of others as a true Christian. He hit
hard blows at any socialistic ideas floating around
and said that all wage earners should wake up
from such dreams which could never be realized.
He counseled against mixing politics into trades
unionism. He talked good horse sense all the
time and gave advice the following of which cannot
help but strengthen unionism in any community
with employers and the public alike."
m * *
The miners in the Chicago & Alton sub-district
of Illinois have returned to work alter idleness
since the first of July. President John Mitchell.
acting on a report of Vice-President T. L. Lewis.
sustained the position of the Illinois miners' state
officials in accepting the shot firer addition to the
wage agreement for this field, and urged the
miners to resume work. Upon receipt of Mr.
Mitchell's decision at meeting's at Thayer, Virden,
Divernon and Auburn mines the men voted to
return to work. All had resumed September 25.
These mines have been idle since the first of July,
when all the mines in the state were shut down
pending an agreement on the shot firer question.
These four machine mines remained idle because
of the contention of the miners that more than two
pounds of powder must be used for blasting, thus
requiring shot firers. The operators took the
other view of the matter, and had already been
sustained by the state officials. There are now
no labor disputes at Illinois mines.
* * *
Hopkins county, Ky., is again the scene of a
coal miners' strike. All the coal diggers employed
by the big Daniel Boone coal mines in the
south part of that county have walked out, declaring
they will dig no more coal for that company.
The management posted notices that the scale of
wages would be reduced, and the miners say that
the reduction amounts to 35 per cent. The mine
was opened about four years ago and since that
time has been running as an "open" m.ne, employing
both union and non-union men, and the union
THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN. 43
miners, who were in the majority at the time of
the strike, claim that the company's action means
a plan to do away with union labor. It is said
that 50 of the miners who rent company houses
have been ordered to vacate.
* * »
A mine examiner is required, under the law.
to enter a shaft and make an inspection between
shifts, if, after one shift is through, dangerous
gases accumulate and doors and stoppings may be
blown out and an interval of a few hours occurs
between shifts. This is the interpretation placed
upon the mining law by Attorney General Stead,
in an opinion rendered at the request of Walton
Rutledge of Springfield, mine inspector of the
Fifth Illinois district. Thus the employment of
shot firers may entail additional duties upon mine
examiners who, before the shot firers' law became
effective, were required to make only one examination
a day.
* * *
"By the middle of next month (October) the
United Mine Workers of District No. 7 alone will
have a paid-up membership of 10,000," says John
P. Gallagher, of Hazleton, who is secretary-treasurer
of District No. 7. Since the advent of President
Mitchell, Secretary Gallagher is sending out
many more membership buttons for the fourth
quarter of 1905. In the entire district it is estimated
there are 18,000 hands of all classes employed
in and about the mines, this number including
every class of workers from foreman down
to breaker boy.
* * *
A committee of the Sheridan. Wyo., lodge of
the United Mine Workers' union has been meeting
with the owners of the Deitz, Monarch and Sheridan
mines in Hot Springs, S. Dak., in an effort
to secure the establishment of a scale of wages
and hours governing these mines. Montana and
Washington operators have recently signed an
agreement with the miners' union, and it is expected
a satisfactory arrangement will be entered
into at the Hot Springs conference.
* * *
The coal operators and officers of the United
Mine Workers have been notified by Charles H.
Neill, statistician at Washington, that the average
tidewater selling price of anthracite coal in
August was $4.71 a ton. entitling certain mine
workers to a 4 per cent, increase over the basis
on September wages. in August the rate was 2
per cent, above the basis, coal having sold for
$4.64 a ton in July.
» • »
The strike of the coal miners, which was inaugurated
at Henryetta. I. T., three months ago,
has been declared off. the men returning to work
under the old conditions. The strike was or-