The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-06-19
ALL COAL L! Miners | /
MAY GO ON STRIKE 4 [
Call Has Been Issued for a Ma
tional Convention.
MEET j ULY SEVENTEENTH
What Action Body Will Take Can Not be
Predicted SO Far in Advance-lf
General Srike is Ordered Re-
suit Will be Far-Reaching.
(By Associated Fress.)

By Associated Fress.)
WILKEsBARRE, Pa. June 1s-The
long expected call for a national con-
vention of The United Mine Workers
OF America was issued to-day by Ma
uonal President Mitchell at strike head
quarters, to be held at Indianapol at
the earliest possible date. The date
Of the convention will be fixed by A.
B. Wilson, national secretary, at In
dianapolis, who has charge of the ma
chinery by which the convention is
arranged. The convention will be held
fer the purpose of discussing the adj
Visibility Of involving all the soft coal
miners in the United States in the strug-
gle now going on in the anthracite coal
fields.
I!rder the constitution of the union five
districts must request action before the
IA ional president can issue a call for
a national convention. The five dis
t1icts that applied for this convention
wele the three anthracite districts, the
Michigan district and the West Virginia
district, where a strike is now going
or:
President Mitchell has had the consent
Of the five districts for some time, but
for some reason did not see fit to issue
the call until to-day. The request for
the convention was made at 1Iazeton
four weeks ago last Friday.
INDUSTRIES WOULD SUFFER.
President Mitchell was extremely un-
communicative as to what the probable
action of the convention might be. If
the delegates should decide to inaugurate
national suspension of coal-mining,
everybody at strike headquarters believe
1t would have a disastrous effect on the
industries of the country. The supply
of coal would become SO short that large
and small industrial establishments would
be compelled 20 suspend operations and
many railroads would also seriously suf-
fer.
There are approximately about 100000
coal miners in the United States; Of these
about $4,000, Mr.. Mitchell says. are af-
fliated with the union, and an additional
fifty thousand comply with the constitu-
ton Of the miners organization. 1t is
utterly impossiule at this distance to fore
cast what the national gathering would
do, as no delegate has been elected yet.
HAS A PLAN.
The anthracite delegates will go into
the convention with $4,000 striking hard
coal miners at their back for a general
strike. The West Virginia delegates will
a strike. and in Michigan. where the
union has been having trouble. the dele
gates will also be instructed for ma
tional suspension.
Central Pennsylvania will contribute a
certain number of delegates. who will
want a general strike as will also Ken
lucky. 1t remains for Western Tenn
sylvana. Ohio, Illinois and Indiana to
offset this. as it is unonicially under
S1,~-
are not very enthusiastic for a general
stoppage of coal production.
There is a strong belief here that
President Mitchell has some plan to sub
nit to the delegates and this belief IS
strengthened by the fact that he delayed
the call 50 long. He had a conference
with President Patrick Gilday. CT the
Central Pennsylvania bituminous district
on Sunday. and has been In frequent
communication with other soft coal lead
ers in the West.
WAGE. AGREEMENT.
The great barrier to be overcome in
the campaign for national suspension
is the yearly wage scale agreement thai
many of the soft aoal miners have wi h
the companies. These agreements are
looked upon as contracts and a large
percentage of miners in the West are
rather averse to breaking them
The principal bone of contention in the
anthracite region is for yearly wage
agreement Those who are opposed to
a general strike use the argument that
if the soft coal miners break these con-
tracts and go on strike to help the an
thracite men, they would be losing in
the west what the hard coal miners
are fighting for in the east
1t is not improbable that the conserva-
tive men in the convention will be able
to prevent a general suspension and car
ny through the convention some SORT
talked of is to have only the central
Pennsylvania and West Virginia men
help the anthracite workers, and an
other plan is to have ali the soft coal
miners work only a certain number of
days each week.
FINAL CARD.
Failing to gain anything by either of
these two moves. then as a. final card
stop the production altogether. All the
Central Pennsylvania, West Virginia
and Maryland.
A delegation Of Illinois leaders will
be here tomorrow. It is said they come
merely to talk over a local difference
in Illinois.
There will be about 1000 delegates in
the convention. Each local union will
have one vote for each 100 members or
fraction Of that number. and an addi-
donal vote for each majority fraction
Ten delegates can be sent to the conven-
ton, yet the delegation may have but
one vote among them. National Secre-
tary Wilson has already started to send
out the call for, the convention. The
call is sent direct to every local union
and does not first go through the dis
trict officers.
TROOPS IN READINESS