Evening journal., 1900-09-07
1t May Result in a Coal
Famine
EFFORTS MADE TO SETTLE
Miners Committee in IIazIetOn Will
EndeayOr TO Obtain Concessions
From the Operators

Indianapolis, Sept 1.-THE condi-
tion in the anthracite region of Penn
sylvania was not considered at today's
meeting of the executive board of the
United Mine Workers of America -
said President John Mitchell last night
AS matter of fact, have not placed
the matter before the board" he con-
tinued, "but II has been made a special
order for tomOrrow's session. / said
some time ago that in my opinion there
would be a big strike unless the op-
orators agree to meet us in a wage con-
ference. l have no reason to believe
otherwise now. This is my opinion.
have not talked with the other mem
bers OF the board about it. lnforma-
tion from the anthracite region indi-
Gates that the operators will not meet
us, and from this you can draw your
own conclusions as to what the out
come will be"
Yesterday the board met in the fore
noon, but transacted no business. An
adjournment was had until o'clock
in the afternoon, when the members
We're called together again. While the
refusal of the anthracite operators to
meet the miners and their ignoring of
demands made upon them for an adj
vance in wages was not directly con-
eidered by the board, the members
were placing themselves IN possession
OF information that viii be useful IN
the final consideration of the import
ant matter.
Reports were heard from members OF
the board and from organizers not
members who had been at work organ
izing in the bituminous field. These
reports show clearly that there has
been a big gain in membership, and
that numerically the union is stronger
than It has ever been. Another point
to be gained by becoming informed
upon the conditions in tho bituminous
districts is that the board members
will be In position to judge whether oi
not the organization can control a suf.
ficient territory to prevent the ship
ment of bituminous coal into the an
thracite field in event a strike is or
dered.
w. D. Ryan, secretary o.
the Illinois district, is here and in con
sultation with the members of thi
board. The treasury of the Illinois
miners is full, and it is reported upoT
good authority that the district con
trolls about 100000. without the con
sent of the local unions of the district
of Illinois this money would not b'
at the command of the national board
and it is thought Mr. Ryan is here fol
the purpose Of pledging the financia
assistance Of his district to the boarC
in event Of a strike.
Vice President Thomas Lewis, o
Ohio, when asked for his views upOI
the situation, said:
people generally think that thi
board will order a strike in a few
minutes after the members get to
gether. However, when you stop Il
reflect that we are dealing with tn,
biggest proposition that ever came be
fore the heads Of any labor organiza
tion you can at once see that it will
be necessary for us to proceed yer.
cautiously. II we get into the fight w
must win, and we certainly will no
order a strike until the situation ha
been thoroughly canvassed"
As a rule the members of the boar'
are conservative, but the general sen
timent is that there will be a strike
Approximately over 100000 peopl
will be directly affected by a strike il
the anthracite region.