i STEAM COAL - Clpdigital.org
i STEAM COAL - Clpdigital.org
i STEAM COAL - Clpdigital.org
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Because a Russian miner, who had quit some<br />
days previously to go to work in another mine.<br />
did not get his own room back when he was reemployed,<br />
a strike was declared at one of the Ellsworth<br />
Coal Co.'s mines at Ellsworth, Pa. The<br />
complainant interested several of his countrymen<br />
and they in turn, by misrepresentation, succeeded<br />
in involving the checkweighman and some of the<br />
English-speaking miners. Upon tne refusal of<br />
the officials of the coal company to right the<br />
alleged grievance there was some disorder on the<br />
part of the foreign element among the miners<br />
but it was quickly quelled by the civil authorities.<br />
President Dolan, Vice-President Bellingham and<br />
National Organizer McKay, of the miners' <strong>org</strong>anization,<br />
addressed meetings of the strikers after<br />
making a thorough investigation and definitely informed<br />
them that they were wrong and that if<br />
they did not return to work immediately the union<br />
would assist the company to fill their places.<br />
* * *<br />
The mine workers of sub-district No. 1 of the<br />
Second bituminous district held their convention<br />
at Ebensburg, Pa., during the week beginning<br />
February 27. Thirty-five delegates, representing<br />
6,500 miners, were present. In the election of<br />
officers. President Michael McTaggart and Secretary-Treasurer<br />
Patrick McCarthy were both beaten.<br />
David Irvine, of Hastings, was elected president;<br />
James Vallery, of Barnesboro, vice-president; William<br />
Marsden. of Barnesboro, secretary-treasurer,<br />
and John Welch, of Barnesboro, board member of<br />
district No. 2. The convention pledged the miners'<br />
financial and moral support toward the establishment<br />
of the Miners' accident hospital of Northern<br />
Cambria county.<br />
* * *<br />
Mine Inspector T. K. Adams reports that the<br />
output of the Third bituminous district of Pennsylvania,<br />
last year, was 3,213.000 tons. Thirteen<br />
new mines were opened and five were abandoned.<br />
The mines of the district employ 7,100 men. There<br />
were 12 fatal accidents. The output of the district<br />
showed a decrease of 252,782 tons, due<br />
mainly to the strike at the mines of the United<br />
States Steel Corporation. The production of the<br />
district by counties was as follows: Armstrong.<br />
1,362,924; Mercer, 632,506; Clarion, 582,462; Butler,<br />
453,828; Lawrence. 171,293.<br />
* * *<br />
An insurance scheme started by miners in the<br />
Illinois district has received the endorsement of<br />
the national body of United Mine Workers of<br />
America, and it may be extended to take in other<br />
districts, where conditions are favorable.<br />
THE <strong>COAL</strong> TRADE BULLETIN. 41<br />
The executive boards of three anthracite districts<br />
of the United Mine Workers went into conference<br />
at Hazleton, pa., on March 10 to discuss<br />
the recent court decision upholding the miners'<br />
certificate law and to formulate measures for defending<br />
the statute in the further proceedings to<br />
be taken to test its constitutionality.<br />
* * *<br />
President Gompers, of the American Federation<br />
of Labor, has warned the labor <strong>org</strong>anizations in<br />
the federation to steer clear of the Debs socialist<br />
gathering booked for June 27. Mr. Gompers<br />
tersely remarks that a glance over the list of those<br />
who signed the call should be sufficient to show<br />
the aims and objects of the affair.<br />
* * *<br />
The anthracite mines are taking active steps to<br />
prevent the repeal of the act of July 15, 1897,<br />
which provides for the protection of the lives of<br />
miners by prohibiting any miner to work in any<br />
anthracite mine until after he has secured a certificate<br />
showing that he is competent to fill the<br />
position of a miner.<br />
* * *<br />
An increased force of <strong>org</strong>anizers has been sent<br />
into the Connellsville region to endeavor to <strong>org</strong>anize<br />
the coke workers and miners of that field.<br />
* * *<br />
The Somerset Coal Co. has over 1,000 men at<br />
work at its mines on the Salisbury branch of the<br />
Baltimore & Ohio near Meyersdale, Pa.<br />
* * *<br />
It is estimated that there are over 2,000,000 coal<br />
miners in the world.<br />
Dominion Company To Compete.<br />
The Dominion Coal Co. has decided to invade<br />
the Toronto and Western Ontario eoal markets.<br />
Up to the present time the market of these districts<br />
has been regarded as belonging to the American<br />
coal companies, owing to their being able to<br />
reach it by the water route across the lake. The<br />
Dominion conipany directors hold the opinion that<br />
the market should belong to the Canadian companies,<br />
and when secured would enable them to<br />
greatly increase their output. The Dominion company,<br />
in addition to securing a special class of<br />
boats to handle the inland traffic from Montreal<br />
to Toronto, will also construct large coal elevators<br />
in the harbor of Toronto. The principal customers<br />
will include a number of the industrial concerns<br />
with which some of the interests of the coal<br />
company are also identified. Toronto will be used<br />
as the principal distributing center for Ontario.<br />
The company has also made contracts in Prescott,<br />
Brockville, Kingston and other towns between<br />
Toronto and Montreal.