The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-03-08
MINERS STRIKE UNLIKELY.
Coal Workers in Pennsylvania Anx-
ious to Avoid Trouble.


HAZLETON. Pa, March S-On Tuesday
next the United Mine Workers Conve.i-
ton will open here and the following Fri
day has been set apart for the com erence
between the miners and the operators 1t
is expected that about 565 delegates from
the three districts of the anthracite field
VIII be in attendance President Mitchell
Of the United Mine Workers. and the
members of the United Mine Workers and
the members of the Executive Board will
get here by Monday and make the Valley
Hotel again their headquarters
What the outcome of the convention will
be or even what the miners will demand
cannot as yet be stated Nth any degree
OF certainty. Judging by what the miners
say, they viii be satisfied if the present
agreement is continued for another year.
If the operators, however. were to at
tempt TO enforce Il reduction strike
would surely result 1t is not likely, how
ever, that the operators viii do anything
of the sort, and il is also reasonably sure
that some of them viii meet the men in
joint convention and adjust any griev-
ances they may present.
The operators are hardly in position
to court a strike, as the market is taking
all the coal that is being mined and no
appreciate quantity has as yet been
stored The miners. on the other hand.
| have perfected their organization to such
a degree that less than per cent OF the
coo mine workers in the anthracite re-
gion do not belong to the Union v lille all
the others do National Organizer James,
when speaking of the outcome of the con
Vention this morning, said.
1t would be the height of fofS for
, any man 10 predict the outcome Of the
convention. That is d matter that rests
entirely with the delegates. Under these
| conditions ! would not like to venture
an opinion, although / am personally in
clined to the belief that al differences
VIII be adjusted amicably The miners do
not want a strike, but. On the contrary.
viii put forth every effort to avoid trou-
This has always been the policy of the
| organization; il IS their policy now. AS
10 whether any Of the operators VIII
meet us IN convention I an unable to
say and know nothing, only what / read
in the papers, and much of this stuff is
| SIMPLY printed to harm the organizat ton
1 nave no fear OF the report thxt the
| Coal Trust IS going to eentralize and
close down certain mines, throwing many
miners Idle The Coal Trust was formed
to make money and the II arket is taking
all the coal that is mined oday. and they
cannot get enough to supply the demand.
There is not an idle miner today who
cannot ma employment Il he desired il.
IN TACT. many of the companies are una
bic 20 get q sufficient number of good
miners"
Samuel De Nedrey, who has been in this
region for some months past, organizing
local unions of various trades and is gen
eral organizer for the Federation of La
/ Dor, says:
This is a matter that only interests me
so far Rs organization is concerned From
q careful review Of the field, / would ven
tUre the assertion that :here will be no
strike But, should a strike take place, /
believe, with the American Federation OF
! Labor behind the miners organization. a
winning fight could be made, and, if rec
essary, Inlllion dollars a week could be
| poured into the district 20 assist in win
| ming the struggle for right and justice.
Labor was never SO thoroughly organized
as now. not for the purpose OF striking OF
bUrdening capital. but simply with the
! one OBJECT in view Of obtaining its Just
| and pTOpOrtiOnate share CT that which il
! produces But there is no aSe In crossing
4 stream until You reach 81, and believe
: the members OF the mins-s' orgaIsizat ton
/ ere sufficiently intelligent~-to decide and
/ act inEeIiigcntlE-