New-York tribune., 1900-09-08
HOW STRIKE WILL BE ORDERED.
BOARD MUST ACT BEFORE SIX O'CLOCK
THIS EVENING.

Indianapolis, Sept. Under the constitution OF
the United Mine Workers of America the Executive
Board must decide before o'clock tomorrow night
upon the application Of the districts embraced In
the anthracite region for permission to strike
Indications tonight are that before the time limit
has expired messages will have been sent 10 the
presidents of the three districts in question. an
nouncing that the permission has been granted.
Following these messages will be others ordering
the men out Of the mines.
The question of ordering the strike was not sub
mitted to a vote at the meeting of the Executive
Board, which in session here all day to-day
Expressions were heard from the members of the
Board as to the advisability of ordering a strike
and after a day spent in discussing the situation
and hearing the views of the Board members, Pres
ident Mitchell said tonight
II said some time ago that in my opinion there
would be a big strike After talking with my col
leagues all day l have no reason to change my
opinion"
This assertion is considered extremely significant
at this time and is taken as an assurance that
unless conditions change materially before to-mor-
row night the big anthracite strike will be ques-
ton of only few hours.
A report was circulated here to-day that commit
tee of Eastern business men. whose interests are
vitalIy concerned in the outcome of the strained
situation. had waited the operators of the an
thracite region in an effort to bring about wage
Mitchell Vice-Presden+ Lewis and other officers of
the Mine Workers Tonight denied any knowledge
of such a meeting and put little credence in the
report.
in so far as actual results concerned the
situation IS practically the yesterday. The
deliberations to-day were for the purpose of put
ting the members of the Board in possession of
such facts must necessarily enter into their
sideration before a strike can be ordered The
facts embraced three questions: VIII all the men
strike? How the half million people be main
tanned during the strike? Can the bitumnous dis
trcts prevent coal from being diverted to aid the
anthracite operators? All have been satisfactorily
answered
If all the $4,000 men go out it is argued by the
mine workers officials that the strike be
in thirty days There is. 1t is said plenty of aid
in sight TO maintain the strikers and their families
The organizers and officials of the bitumnous dis
trcts have been called here and all report favor
ably the ability to prevent diversion Of coal
1t requires majority vote Of the Board to grant
permission TO strike. No vote has been taken. In
the majority OF the members of the Board
vote in favor Of strike, telegrams announcing the
decision Will be sent to T. d. Nichols, of Nanti-
coke, Penn; John Fahy, Shamokin, Penn. and
Thomas Duffy, Of Kullayres, Penn, presidents OF
Districts Nos !. and T. respectively, to the effect
that the men in their districts have been given
permission strike. The men viii then be ordered
out by President Mitchell, who will Immediately
depart for the region to take personal supervision
of the strike Several members of the Executive
Board will, in all probability, accompany Mr..
Mitchell TO lend their assistance.