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STRIKE IN THE KANAWHA FIELD
CLOSES TWENTY-ONE MINES
AND 1,500 MEN ARE IDLE.
As the result of a strike declared by the miners
employed by the Belmont Coal Co. on November
15, 21 mines are closed and 1,500 men idle in the
Cabin creek district of the Kanawha coal field in
West Virginia. The strike was caused by a refusal
of the mine workers to arbitrate a dispute
over the proper interpretation of the clause in
the agreement relating to the employment of
checkweighmen. Two conferences have been held
between the strikers and their employers but
without definite result. The point at issue is
that of assessing non-union miners to pay for a
checkweighman.
The Cabin creek operators maintain they have
no right to levy such an assessment against miners
who are not members of the United Mine Workers
and refused to collect it. The officials of Cie
United Mine Workers retaliated, after several conferences,
by declaring the coal operators were
violating the Charleston agreement, entered into
the early part of the year. Following this a
large number of the miners employed by the Belmont
Coal Co. quit work. Complaint was made
to the miners' organization and on September 7
an agreement was entered into by which the latter
undertook to provide the coal company with all
the union miners needed. Either through a direct
violation of contract or inability to control
its members, the miners' organization was unable
to sustain its portion of the agreement and the
Belmont workings could not be operated. After
repeated unavailing efforts to obtain the necessary
number of union men to work its mines, the Belmont
company posted notices that it would hereafter
employ its labor on the "open shop" basis.
In this it was supported by the other members of
the Kanawha Coal Association and the general
strike resulted.
BIG YEAR FOR LAKE COAL SHIPMENTS.
More coal has been shipped across the lakes so
far this season than during the same length of
time in any previous year. The shipments of
coal were not started as early this year as has
been the case in previous years on account of the
ice in the lakes and the strike of the men employed
at the docks early in the summer. A large
amount of coal was shipped to the lake ports
from the different coal regions, and when the lake
shipping season opened there was plenty of work
for the men. The boats were insured until November
15 and many of them were over-loaded
because the shippers were anxious to get as much
coal across the lakes as possible. The shipment
of coal across the lakes will probably be continued
until about Christmas.
THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN. 27
INDIANA COAL OPERATORS
FAVOR MUTUAL INSURANCE.
The Indiana coal operators who have heen paying
$75,000 a year premiums on casualty insurance
have virtually decided to form a mutual
company to handle the business. It is thought
that money can be saved by forming a mutual
company, both in the rate of insurance and in
causing operators and miners to take more precautions
against accidents. The insurance is to
protect the operators against claims for personal
injuries.
OHIO AND BIG SANDY RIVER
IMPROVEMENTS ARE ADVANCED.
The tenth annual session of the Ohio Valley Improvement
Association closed November 18, at
Huntington, W. Va., after the most successful
meeting in its history. It is the general feeling
among those interested that the cause of improving
the stage of the Ohio and Big Sandy has
been materially advanced by the meetings of river
associations. The direct aid of congressmen and
United States senators has been pledged, and the
feeling prevails that the coming session of congress
win take action favorable to a perpetual
nine-foot stage in the Ohio.
Colonial Co.'s New Mines Inspected.
An official inspection of the new mines of the
Colonial Coal & Coke Co. of Pittsburgh was made
on November 29. This company is the consolidation
of the former Seger Coal & Coke Co. and
the Glen Easton Coal Co. and is operating new
coal properties in West Virginia and also in the
Ligonier valley of Westmoreland county, Pa. The
inspection was made at the new mines in the
Ligonier valley, where the company has just
completed a railroad from Ligonier to its mines
and is preparing to take out its first consignment
of coal. The inspection trip was on a large scale,
the company taking its stockholders and others
to the mines and return on a special train. The
new property is in the Connellsville region, and
Ithe coal is a drift seam eight feet thick. There
are many features connected with the new mine
that are unusual, including a natural system of
ventilation and drainage that makes the mine one
of the most economical to operate in the district.
The outlook for a busy season in the Eastern
Ohio coal field is the brightest that it has been
for many months. The prospect of uninterrupted
operations for a long time ahead is marred only
by the danger of a car shortage and a lack of
water which a little wet weather will dispel.