The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-07-13
AN IMPORTANT MEETING
Labor Leaders Discuss the Miners Strike.
United for the Purpose of Making the
Strike q Success.

P~ittsburg, July 9.-The greatest
gathering of labor leaders that ever as
sembled in this country during a ma
tional strike was held in this city to-
night to devise means to assist the
miners in their contest for Increased
wages. The conference was called
suddenly, but the officials. responding
represented nearly every branch of or
ganized labor in the United States.
Those present We're Samuel GOmpers,
president of the American Federation
of Labor: NJ. d. Ratchford, national
president of the United Mine Workers
of America; NJ. NJ. Garland, president
of the Amalgamated Association of
Iron and Steel Workers; Stephen Mad
den, secretary Of the Amalgabated
Association; j. N. Hughes, first vice
president of the Federation of Metal
Trades; NJ j.. Counahan, national sec
rotary of the J~ourneymen Plumbers
Associations; M. P. Carrick, president
of the Brotherhood of Paintess and
Decorators; D. r. Thomas, president
Of the National Pattern Makers
League; w. B. Mahon, president of
the Amalgamated Association of Street
Railway Employees; Patrick Dolan,
district president of the United Mine
Works of America, and William War
ner, district secretary Of the United
Mine Workers.
The session was secret and it was
almost midnight before it was over.
The press committee, Messrs. Com
pers, RatchfOrd and Counahan then
! gave out the following statement in
which was incorporated, they said, all
that vas done at the conference:
after ar informal discussion re-
! ports were made by Messrs. Ratchford,
DOlan and Warner in regard to the
situation of the movement and it was
demonstrated that the suspension was
practically general in the competitive
bituminOus coal district, extending
also to Kentucky and Tennessee, eX-
cepting a few points in West Virginia.
1t was realized that the situation in
West Virginia required attention in or
der that the suspension should become
absolutely general and success assured.
1t was determined that every effort be
made on the part Of those present to
secure cooperation and practical aid
| of organized labor for the struggling
miners. All the circumstances war
ranted the firm conviction that the
miners will ultimately achieve victory
and to this end the aid of labor and
the sympathetic public is invoked
| Conscious of the great interest which
the pubic mas IN a contest SO WIDE
| spread as that of the miners, it gives us
great satisfaction to know hat the
miners have not been and are not o
opposed to arbitration. We, therefore
urge and advise hat a conference be
held by the representatives of the
miners and he operators with a view
of arriving at a settlement of the
present suspension"
! Notwithstanding the positive an
nouncement by the committee that the
statement furnished the press covered
all the proceedings of the conference
it is known that an organized effort T
secure a general suspension of mining
in West Virginia was decided pon
After a thorough anvas of the stu
alton is was unanimously agreed tina
the West Virginia miners held the key
to the situations and without theil
united support the success of the gen
eral movement would be greatly jeop
ardiZed.