Show M M M t M t t M f H M f M M I M M I M t M MH 1 H M t M 4 M M i THE COAL STRIKE 1 t M t M t M MM t M t I MM I M I t M Today marks the beginning of what may prove to be a deplorable struggle between capital and labor in the anthracite region of Pennsylvania and result in a serious disturbance of business conditions conditions conditions condi condi- throughout the country As previously stated in these columns a general gen gen- eral erM strike of any an duration will not become a fixed f fact act ct until after the conference of district delegates which is to he be held herd at Hazleton on Wednesday when the question will be settled But before the United Mine Workers Yorkers shall act in the premises the I mischief may have been done It is a discouraging in indication that as our r reports ports advise us district superintendents in inthe the he employ of the coal trust are not attempting to influence the miners against the strike proposition as the they did before the strike of 1900 and this fact suggests a a. a suspicion that the coal barons arons ar are not disinclined tc have a finish fight w with th b their men at a time of the year most favorable to the former In th the district the operators s are preparing to pay payoff off and dischar discharge e the miners on Thursday which may mean that a lockout is is' in con con- It will be recalled that in the struggle 1 between e een the trust and the United Mine Workers Yorkers two years ago political considerations and the official and personal influence and arid efforts of the late President McKinle McKinley and Senator Hanna alone prevented prevented pre pre pre- vented the magnates from standing out to the last in an n attempt j ib b starve the strike to death It H is is not impossible that advantage may may na be taken take of the pr present ent situation to o coerce the workers into submission submission sub sub- mission in the tise of future relations in which the labor end of the shall association be less domi dominant n nant nt We ye hope that the fight may be averted Whichever s side e might win the general public and particularly the great cities compelled to use anthracite coal exclusively would would suffer and very s severely while industrial and transportation interests interests inter inter- ests of enormous importance would be paralyzed v vre re production to be suspended throughout the st summer As matters stand every mine in the re re- re- re gion rqn is idle hue today and will so remain until after t Hazleton ton conference The outlook is blue f. f |