The Roslyn Coal Miners Defy Wage Cuts

The miners and drivers of the Northern Pacific Coal Company, operating the most extensive colliery in the Northwest, decided in a mass meeting this afternoon not to accept the proposed reduction in the new contract submitted for signatures today. There were 505 against and 60 for acceptance of the cut. This action has been anticipated since the workings of the new contract were announced a week ago. Sunday afternoon, a meeting of the miners and drivers was held and a committee appointed to confer with company management to effect a compromise. The committee met Mine Superintendent Harrison and were informed that the terms set forth in the new contract would be strictly adhered to by the company. A second mass meeting of the employees was held this morning, where the committee made their report. Consideration resulted in instructions to the committee to again interview the management and propose to effect a compromise by accepting a 10 percent reduction. The company refused to accept the compromise terms, and at the meeting this afternoon the employees decided to go to work only upon the 10 percent basis. A motion was passed requesting the men to remove their tools from the mine Wednesday morning. The situation is grave, and the business men of the camp are praying for an early settlement of the trouble.