i STEAM COAL - Clpdigital.org

40 THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN.
At the ninth annual convention of the International
Seamen's Union starting December 5 in
San Francisco, the various unions of lake seamen
will make a demand that jurisdiction be given the
seamen's union over every person employed on
boats. The longshoremen's union has organized
the firemen, engineers, tugmen, fishermen and several
other crafts working on the lakes, and this
attempt of the Lake Seamen's Union to take jurisdiction
will be the culmination of a fight that lias
been threatening for several years. tne seamen
are willing to concede to the longshoremen jurisdiction
over all workers along the docks, but
claim that the dividing line must be drawn wlun
it comes to vessels. The longshoremen, cn the
other hand, have been laboring for almost a aecade
to bring under their jurisdiction every employe on
and along the lakes to form one organization, to
embrace every person who is earning his bread
in any manner through lake traffic.
A shortage of empty flats and river barges has
resulted in nearly all the river mines in the Pittsburgh
district shutting down temporarily. Of the
40 mines owned by the Monongahela River Consolidated
Coal & Coke Co.. not more than half a
dozen are being worked. The company has about
800 empties strung along the Ohio river between
here and Cairo, but the continued low water has
prevented them from being brought up to the
pools. All the barges in the pools have been
loaded and there are enough loaded boats in the
Monongahela river to provide tows for four or
five Southern trips of all the company's steamboats.
* * *
District Attorney Trowbridge, of Cripple Creek,
Col., has dismissed the cases against 43 men who
had been charged with complicity in the independence
depot explosion and the Victor riot of June 6
last. Two of the men had been in jail five
months. The others were out on bonds. There
remain similar charges against 17 men, including
Charles H. Moyer, president, and William D. Haywood,
secretary-treasurer of the Western Federation
of Miners, but it is doubtful whether the
cases will ever be tried. Since the election about
50 men who had been deported have returned to
the district and have not been molested.
* * *
Coal miners who are members of the Pittsburgh
district United Mine Workers, have sent in the
nomination for officers of the organization for the
annual election. Besides Patrick Dolan for president,
there is a second candidate for the leadership.
For vice-president there are 11 candidates,
and for secretary-treasurer of the organization
there are three. Six members want the one position
on the national executive board, and 117 are
asking election to the nine positions as members
of the district executive board.
* * *
State Mine Inspector Josiah T. Evans has instituted
proceedings at Johnstown, Pa., against Steve
Slobonik and Joseph Sladoda who are charged
with having taken naked lamps into a heading of
the Cambria Rolling Mill mine in direct violation
of the company's orders as issued upon direction
of the mine inspector. The mine was the scene of
the terrible accident a couple of years ago in
which 113 lives were lost by an explosion of gas
doubtless caused by an open flame ot some kind.
* * *
Fifteen new men from Tunnelton attempted to
organize a mutiny among the miners at the Powell
Coal & Coke Co.'s plant near Grafton, W. Va.
After running things to suit themselves for some
time, disregarding the rules of the plant and working
or loafing as pleased them best, the superintendent
of the mine called a halt. Seven of the
men then attacked the superintendent and one
of the clerks but were badly worsted, after which
the disturbers were discharged.
* * *
The Salem Coal Co. mines at Salem, O., have
been closed down until such time as the miners
consent to work on a screen basis. Other mines
in the district will also shut down for a like reason.
The run-of-mine basis of mining coal militates
against the operators in that section, it is
asserted, and unless there are important changes
in the system made by the miners there will be
little if any work done hereafter.
* * *
Smallpox has broken out at the mining town of
Morris Run, Tioga county. Pa., where the men
have been on a strike since April, putting a stop
to the eviction proceedings of the company. More
than 50 houses are quarantined. President Patrick
Gilday of the United Mine Workers has been
in the field endeavoring to effect a settlement with
the officials.
* * *
A race war among coal miners at Frazer, la.,
is feared. Thomas Albright, a white miner, was
shot and mortally wounded by James Price, a
negro. A white miners' meeting was held and a
vote passed to refuse to work longer with the
negroes. There are from 35 to 50 negroes in the
mining camp, and 1,200 whites.
* * *
Boston is to have another joint delegate body.
one representing the unions of the different lines
engaged in the coal-handling industry, which will
represent about 5,000 men. The coal teamsters