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GOAL TRADE BULLETIN.
Vol. XII. PITTSBURGH, PA., FEBRUARY 15, 1005. No. 6
THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN;
PUBLISHED TWICE A MONTH.
Copyrighted by THE COAL TRADE COMPANY, 1904
A. It. HAMILTON, Proprietor and Publisher,
H. J. STEAUB, Managing Editor.
SUBSCRIPTION, - - - - $2.00 A YEAR
Correspondence and communications upon all matters
relating to coal or coal production are invited.
All communications and remittances to
THK COAL THADK COMPANY.
926-930 PARK BUILDING, PITTSBURGH, PA.
Long Distance Telephone 250 Grant.
[Entered at the Post Office at Pittsburgh, Pa., as
Second Class Mall Matter.]
PRESIDENT MITCHELL ADVISE THE STRIK­
ING ALABAMA MINE WORKERS TO CON­
TINUE THE FIGHT, AND PLEDGES THEM
NATIONAL SUPPORT.
President Mitchell's survey of the Alabama
strike situation during his recent visit to
that territory resulted in a determination to
continue the struggle, a pledge o£ continued support
from the national organization and a complete
vindication of the actions and methods of
District President Fairley and his assistants who
have been conducting the strike. Despite all
previous announcements and reports, President
Mitchell in his address to the miners of the Birmingham
field declared that the strike "was fully
sanctioned by the national organization and officers,"
that it was "as just as any strike ever waged
by the mine workers," and that "its handling had
been as capable and skillful as that of any strike
in recent years." Mr. Mitchell reiterated his Indianapolis
arraignment of the judges of the federal
courts and urged the Alabama strikers to
defend their legal rights to the last extremity.
He begged them to hold firmly to their cause and
declared repeatedly that he believed they would
win. He held out no hope of an early victory but
assured the union mine workers that with the
support of the national organization, loyalty to
their cause and a firm determination not to return
to work until their demands had been granted that
it would be impossible for the contending operators
to hold out against them. He also advised
them to stand by the negro mine worker, declaring
that his cause was their cause and that
victory or defeat for one meant the same for the
other.
The effect of President Mitchell's visit to the
Alabama field has undoubtedly resulted in at
least a temporary strengthening of the strikers'
position. The disintegration process which was
beginning to be felt by the local organization has
been stopped and the men have taken on new
courage. The uncertainty as to the. moral support
of President Mitchell and the miners' organization
has been dispelled and the lack of confidence
manifested to a considerable degree in the
local leaders has been dissipated by the national
leader's unqualified approval of their work.
INDIVIDUAL CONTRACTS TO BE
REQUIRED BYJMORRIS RUN CO.
President John Magee. of the Morris Run Coal
Co., has addressed a letter to Secretary Wilson, of
the U. M. W., outlining the company's position
regarding mines at Morris Run, Pa. The communication
states that any proposition looking to
an agreement of contract with union miners, as a
body, will not be considered by the management;
that any person making application for employment
in the mines must do so as an individual,
and that the company reserves for itself the exclusive
privilege of determining whom it shall
employ and under what conditions. The Morris
Run mines have been idle since last March, when
the miners struck for 91 cents a ton for mining
coal. An effort was made to resume work in
December, when about 100 non-union workers were
brought to the mines, but before any headway
could be made an epidemic of smallpox broke out
in the town and the inhabitants were quarantined
for 30 days. Owing to the long idleness, the mines
have fallen into a state of disrepair which it
would take much time and money to remedy