The Washington times., 1902-06-21
Victory Gained by Men Out
at the Sandy Run
CoIliery.
EVICTIONS ARE POSTPONED
Coke Brothers & Co. Not to Proceed
Against Strikers Yet-General Ces-
sation of Work Likely to Be Opposed
in the Convention.


move to test the feeling OF the soft
coal miners. who have contracts for the
year, regarding the proposed national
strike, will be made next Wednesday,
when the $4,000 miners in the organ
lied district of this State are ordered
to stop work. according to the restric-
ton plan inaugurated by President
Mitchell.
Similar orders, it is understood. are
being prepared for the Ohio, Indiana, IL
linois, Iowa, and smaller districts, also
to go into effect next week, and II they
are obeyed they will indicate how the
miners may vote at the convention on
July Il.
To Prevent Storing.
In the central belt of States the re-
striction is not to prevent the coal from
reaching an anthracite market, but 10
prevent II from being stored by the op
orators to be used in the event a strike
IS declared The present prospect is
that the strike will be vigorously op
are under contracts.
Reports from these districts quote
the officers as stating that they do
not want strike. and their men are
also opposed to it. that the contracts
already signed for the year will not be
broken. This last clause is believed to
mean that even though the convention
votes for a strike, the men of the west
ern Pennsylvania district, Ohio Illi-
nois, Indiana, and Iowa will stand solid
ly against striking, even though it means
q split in the union.
May Accomplish Much.
What President Mitchell may accom-
plish in The month before him, how
ever, there is no telling. That he will
make a determined effort to gain the
aid OF the contract workers is apparent.
Men will be sent among them and the
argument that concerted action is nee
essary to preserve the union will be
used.
He has unbounded energy and large
supply of confidence, and he has set
his heart upon winning this fight. If
the States which oppose a strike had
majority of votes in the convention
there would be no doubt of the issue
even now, but they fall some hundred
short. The vote is, however, expected
to be very close.
With a full representation from each
of the States it would be: For a strike,
1850; against, 1,754. But as only the
men who are in good standing are al
lowed to vote, the States opposed to a
strike being more thoroughly organized
Will have more men in good standing
than the partly organized strikers, and
may thus be able TO overcome the exist
ing majority.
Law and Order League.
The organization OF the law and or
der league of this city is proceeding
rapidly. The membership has reached
nearly a thousand and it is increasing
secret meeting was held at the ar
mory tonight. The identity of the mem
bers SO far has not been revealed. and
strenuous efforts have been made to
prevent any publicity until the organi-
, sat!on is through, but at the head are
some of the wealthiest and most prom
inent men in the city.
The first gain made by the mine work
ers is at the Sandy Run colliery of NJ.
g. Kemmerer & Co, where. tomorrow,
Inc engineers, HItmtH, duu puupilltH
will resume work under the eight-hour
dny rule for the same pay as they re-
ceived for a twelve-hour day. The com
pany explains that the colliery is old.
ard so well worked out that II would
hold an immense amount of water
There is still sone coal to be taken
out, and the officials decided it would
be cheaper TO grant the request of the
men than TO pump out the mine when
the strike ends.
The eviction of the Coke Bros. q
Co.'S employees at Oneida which was
threatened has been postponed. and the
officials do not state when the attempt
will occur The strikers occupying
these houses have been instructed by
District President Duffy to make no re-
sistance. but TO claim action for dam
ages in the civil courts
On Wednesday night men broke into
the intrenched camp of the Susquehan-
ma Coal Company at Nanticoke and fired
at the guards A number of them re-
piled. shooting in the air, and the at
tackers were driven of. Today Burgess
Williams had ten Of the guards arrest
ed. Two were discharged, and the re-
mainder were fined 50.
Mrs. John Snyder, the wife OF non
union worker. called at the Lebigh Val
ley Office this afternoon, and complain
ed that the strikers had burned down
her house and all the household goods
At meeting of striking engineers.
fremen, and pump runners tonight, IL
was reported that twenty recruits had
been gained during the week.
WILKESBARRE. Pa, June 20.-To-
night the Wilkesbarre headquarters Of
the United Mine Workers issued the fol-
lowing notice. which is being mailed to
every labor organization:
region OF Pennsylvania went on strike on
May y, 1902, after months of futile nego-
tiations in an honorable epdeavor to
reach an amicable settlement with the
millionaire coal barons; and only after
every possible means OF adjustment by
conciliation had been exhausted did they
resort 20 a suspension of work TO secure
q living wage and conditions OF employ
nent that as human beings and Ameri-
can citizens they believe they are en-
titled to.