Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1901-03-17
THE anthracite MINERS
ALMOST SURE TO STRIKE.
OFFICERS AUTHORIZED TO ORDER
A SUSPENSION OF WORK ON
APRIL 1ST.
UNLESS OPERATORS CONFER
REGARDING WAGES AND CoNDI.
TIoNS OF EMPLOYMENT IN
THAT REGION.

HAZLET0N, Pa, March 1.-THE
United Mine Workers convention ad-
journed shortly before noon.
The convention, after an all morning
conference. instructed the national ex-
ecutive board to negotiate for another
joint conference with the operators,
falling to secur which the board has
authority to declare a general strike
in the anthracite fields.
The strike if no conference is held,
will probably be ordered to go into
effect April l, although the time may
be changed by the board il it deems
fit.
The report of the scale committee
was presented this morning, but has
not yet been made public.
President Mitchell met the members
of the district executive boards this
afternoon and left for Scranton to.
night.
1t has not yet been determined
whether the national board, when call
ed to negotiate for another conference,
will meet at Hazleton or elsewhere.
President Mitchell this afternoon
gave out this statement:
The following resolution was unani-
mously adopted at the forenoon session
of the convention:
Whereas. We have on several occa-
sions invited and implored the opera
tors to meet with us in joint confer
ence to mutually agree upon and es-
tablish a scale OF wages and conditions
OF employment for the term OF one
year; and
Whereas, They have repeatedly ig-
nored our Invitations ana treated us
with contemptuous silence, s%cornlng
our invitations and demands alike.
and.
Whereas, We believe we are entitled
to much more consideration that we re-
ceive and are fully entitled to meet
with those who employ us. and are
our equals under the law and consti-
tuition of our country, and with them
discuss and decide matters OF mutual
interest. therefore he ii
Resolved, That we authorize our ma
tional president, national executive
board and officers of districts one,
seven and nine to negotiate, II possi-
bic, for a joint conference OF miners
and operators between this date ana
the first of April, 1901. In the eveur
of their failure to secure a Joint con-
ference they may. by a majority vote.
decide the policy of our movement.
even If it is necessary TO resort to sus-
pension OF work to enforce the justice
due us as producers of wealth fully
equal with our employers.
A motion was then made and unaa-
imously agreed to. that all anthracite
miners would respond to a call for a
suspension OF work should the execu-
tive officers fail to arrange n joint con-
ference with the operators. It WIS
agreed that il the operators ignored
the overtures OF their employees and
forced the miners to Engage in a strike,
the officials of the organization were
empowered to request all men employ
ed in or about mines. strippings and
collieries to cease work.
1t was learned tonight from one
of the delegates from district No 7
bidi inc sOlt Ou EiFlkt TtSDiuIlOuS was
not unanimous He said the represen-
tatives from his district were a unit
against the resolutions but that the
delegates from district No. I and Q
finally triumphed by a vote Of 345 20
265. A few of the delegates from No.
8 were also opposed to the resolutions.
Many of the representatives are OF the
opinion that the question OF deciding
the issue should have been left to the
delegates and not vested In the nation
al executive board. II was also stated
that at last nights executive session
President Mitchell presented a resoiu-
ton In which the following was en-
bodied:
Abolition Of company stores: ablli-
ton OF company doctors: the immedl-
ate signing Of the scale and an annual
conference.
The resolution was deliberated upon
until 2 O'Clock this morning when
President Mitchell consented to elimi-
nate all demands and extend the time
until April LIST, and the adoption OF
the resolution to-day was the outcome.