The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-08-27
FOR
CONFERENCE
ONE PURPOSE OF THE MINERS
CONVENTION.
President Nichols Says the Matter
Will Be Discussed and II Is Likely
a Committee Will Be Appointed to
Arrange for Joint Meeting of the
Representatives of the Coal Com
panies and the United Mine Work
ers-Declares the Engineers Are
Making a Mistake.

The convention of United Mine
Workers, which will convene this
morning at Hazleton, will be most
important one, as there are numerous
matters of the utmost importance to
the men of the anthracite region which
will he brought up for discussion ana
action.
There will he present at the session
the officers and boards Of Districts No.
I, Z and ., delegat tes from the locals
throughout the three districts, and
President John Mitchell and the MEM
bers of the national executive board
The local delegation, headed by Sec
retary- Treasurer John T. Dempsey and
the local board members, will leave
here at 6.4j o'clock and he Joined in
Wilkes Barre by the Luzcrne contin-
gent, leaving the city at 745 o'clock.
President Thomas n. Nichols will meet
the representatives of this district at
NantiCoke.
1t is expected that six hundred men
will be present when President John
Mitchell calls the convention to order,
and its sessions are expected TO be
of several days duration. Foremost
among the questions which will come
mine cards and the negative attitude
which has been adopted by the COM
panes towards the periodical examin-
ations at the collieries of these certifi-
Gates of good standing.
Numerous cases of trouble have been
occaeioned through clashes between the
companies and mine workers in regard
to this, already and for awhile the
1,-,A -
the Delaware, LaCkawanna and West
ern Railroad company were closed by
| the men going on strike as a result,
and like condition prevailed at the
| Maltby colliery of the Lehigh Coal
| company.
NICHOLS STATEMENT
President Thomas u. Nichols, of Dis
| trict No. |, was seen at local head
| quarters yesterday by Tribune man
and in discussing the probable doinGs
of the convention, said: THE matter
which has been largely instrumental In
causing the boards Of the three dis.
tricts to call this convention, is the
manner in which the companies have
violated their agreement with us 10y
discharging men who refused to take
| tne places OF 1lTtl1tn. ne lsdNhd
wanna is among the offending com
panies in this respect and II was thu
fact that they discharged six men
the Woodward that the strike at tha
| colliery occurred.
Moreover. several Of the differen
companies have refused to take bacl
firemen who went out on strike an,
there are in all about forty of thos
employees idle
The mine workers have not given III
the fondly- nourished hope that a writ
ten agreement can he drawn up be
tween mine workers and operators
which signed by representatives q
both sides would prove a binding an
lasting contract for whatever perio
stipulate 1t is likely committee Wi
be elected at the convention to obtai
an interview with representatives. o
the companies, to form such an agree
inert.
1--WE want a formal written agree
ment," said President Nichols, en-
pha tically, yesterday. II do not knoN
what action the convention is going t
take on the matter, but it will un
doubtedly be discussed. II such con
tract was made, there could be no dc
malls by either side of any arrange
ments made, in the manner which ha
now been adopted in numerous IN
stances. owing to the fact that mer
verbal transactions had occurred"
AS TO THE ENGINEERS.
President Nichols denied any actuf
knowledge of the work done by tn
stationary engineers at their state cor
vention, held here sunday. II see b
, the papers" he remarked quietly. "ths
} they are decided not to affiliate the n
selves with the mine workers. In m
. opinion the engineers, as well as a
: other mine employees, are very FOOLS
; not to join the United Mine Worker
Our association expects to set a
agreement with the operators and II "
| secure il and sign it, we will most al
> suredly keep our side of the Contrac
And it is plain to see that If we sig
| an agreement we can give no help
the engineers, or any like organizatio
in the way Of a sympathy strike, an
moreover, their number is so limit'
l that the companies can probably east
= secure outside help to fill their place
4 in event of their cessation If work. y
! II had been thought that Presidel
{ Mitchell would be in the city yeste
. day, but word was received that
had gone on To national headquarte
at Indianapolis, Saturday, and wou
go to Hazleton direct from there Wi
the national board members.