New-York tribune., 1901-07-21
TO DECIDE FIREMEN.S STRIKE
DEPENDS ON ACTION TO-DAY WHETHER
IT CONTINUES OR IS CALLED OFF.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.

tBY TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUNE.l
Wflkesbarre. Penn. July 20.-To- morrow Will
decide the life or death of the firemen's strike
II the United Mine Workers decide to remain
neutral order their men who have taken the
places Of the strikers to retire and refuse TO
WORK where non-union men are employed In the
frerooms, then the freEnen will probably win
within short time. But if the United Mine
workers propose that the strike be ended and
the strikers wait until next April when there
will be a general movement to better the con-
ditons In the region, then the strike is practical
ly stopped
The latter IS expected and, as It is also be-
lieved that the fremen will not agree to # a
fight between the two organizations will begin
which will lead not only to much bitterness but
De a serious blow to labor interests. The pro-
sramme for the momentous meeting is that all
striking hremen shall attend, and that there
shall also be present the executive board of the
United Mine Workers from each of the three
districts in the anthracite field. The proposition
OF the United Mine Workers will be submitted
and the fremen will vote on it. State Vice
President Barrett said tonight: IF 1t is to end
the strike, the will vote against it almost to
man. They are in the fight to stay and the
conditions are improving every day.
In such event the chief hope of the firemen
will be the sympathetic strike of the engineers.
which the latter have promised but have not
yet declared. The engineers and fremen ar
rayed on one side against the United Mine
workers and the operators would make fight
IN which the entire world of labor would find
some lessons All three now belong to the
American Federation OF Labor. the cornerstone
OF which is that no union man shall take the
place of another union man who is on strike
Despite this, there at Nanticoke, Dorrance-
ton, Mill Creek, Parsons and Avondale United
Mine Workers In strikers places. More than
this, President Mitchell of the United Mine
Workers has declined TO interfere in the mat
ter, and has referred it to District President
Nichols. whose promise to investigate has proved
empty. for now. after three days the men are
still at work. This condition not only defines
the attitude of the United Mine Workers tow
ard the strikers. but has caused great bitter
ness between the two classes of workmen.
This feeling resulted in trouble at Plymouth
to-day. A mixed meeting being held when
q miner pleaded with his fellow miners to fill
the strikers places and go back to work on
Monday. instead OF remaining uselessly idle.
Immediately there a bedam of cheers and
hisses and order restored with difficulty,
while the meeting ended abruptly. Numerous
other Instances have occurred to show the III
feeling. State President Mullahy speaking on
directly opposing the strikers, said that If they
did so every fireman in the Mount Carmel,
Shamokin, Hazleton and Scranton regions who
is now a United Mine Worker will resign from
that organization and become a member OF the
International Brotherhood of Stationary Fire
men, so that the latter would present a solid
front He also believed such an action would
be the needed incentive for getting the en-
gineers to Join the firemen and declare a strike.
He says he is confident OF the outcome and
that reports from all over the region where the
hremen are still at work assure him that they
are ready to strike when called to do
Everything was at a standstil with the strikers
to-day, owing to the interest manifested in the
meeting tomorrow. All the locals held meet
ings, and their members discussed the probable
outcome. At the mines there was no change, X
cept In two instances. The Stevens company. an
individual concern, granted the demands OF the
men. and the Avondale colliery, OF the Delaware.
Lackawanna and Western company. resumed
work with union men in the ffreroom. The
Kingston Coal Company. which was to have
started work to-day, resolved TO await the result
of to-morrow's meeting before deciding what
ton TO take.
The first Injunction OF the strike was issued to-
day. It was at the instance OF the Lehigh Val
ley company. and restrained the strikers at the
Maltby colliery from allowing the men picket
duty 20 stop and argue with the workers. the
ground that II IS interference. The argument
for the permanent Injunction will be made on
Monday.