Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1902-03-19
ANTHRACITE MINERS
MAY CALL A STRIKE
United Mine Workers Meet to
Consider Grievances.
CONVENTION AT sHAMoKIN, PA.

There Are Many Grievances to be Con-
sidered, It Is Said,oT More Impor-
tance Than Recognition of the Body
as Union.
Sh&mokin, Pa. March 1S.-A special
train from the upper anthracite re-
gion today brought here a majority of
the delegates to the convention of the
United Mine Workers of districts l !,
! and 8, which began at noon. Many
3f the delegates from the lower sec
ton came in yesterday. Neither Ma
tional President Mitchell nor National
Secretary Wilson have arrived, but it
is expected they will reach here this
afternoon.
1t is next to impossible to obtain a
clear idea of the intentions of the
delegates. District No. 1, comprising
the LackaWanna and Wyoming re
gions, where there is said to be much
dissatisfaction, practically controls the
situation, and should the delegates
from that region declare for a strike
the remaining districts would be com
pelled to accept the inevitable.
According to Secretary Hartlein. of
district No. 9, the Shamokin district,
there are $4,000 mine workers in the
anthracite region, and SO per cent of
these are members of the United Mine
Workers OF America. District No.
comprising Lackawanna upper Lu-
zerne and Wyoming counties and por-
tions of the Schuylkill and Carbon
counties, have 176 local branches, with
representation of about $50 dele
gates in the convention There are 54
locals in district 7, which includes low
er Luzerne and portions of Schuylkill
and Carbon counties This district
sends 100 delegates. District No. 9.
comprising lower Schuylkill, Dauphin
and Columbia counties, is entitled to
send something over 200 delegates.
Although official statements con
cerning the probable action of the con
vention are difficult to obtain, it is in
timated by some of the officials that
recognition of the union will not be
L
ances to be considered of more impor-
tance, it is said than recognition of
the union as a body
The important business will be
transacted behind closed doors and the
proceedings announced through the
medium of press committee
Among the matters to be brought to
the attention of the convention are
the reports of the president John
Mitchell, and his assistants in their eff
forts to settle existing differences with
the operators and the replies they re-
ceived. The eight-hour day recogni-
tton of the union grievances of firemen
and many other questions of vital i'm.
portance will also come up.
1t is stated that the combined treas
uries OF the three districts now contain
$4,000
Ralph M. Easley, of Chicago. secre.
tary of the Civic Federation, arrived
here today He said his visit had no
connection with the miners conven.
ton His object, he said, was to meet
President Mitchell, who is a member
OF the conciliation committee of the
civic federation. There are some mat
ters before the commission, Mr.. Eas-
ley said, that require attention, and he
desired to see Mr. Mitchell before the
latter left for the west.
President Mitchell, of the United
Mine Workers, arrived from Altoona
at II o'clock. Secretary Adams was
not with him. having gone to West
Virginia to preside over a convention
of bituminous coal miners. Mr.. Mitch.
ell said he was not in touch with the
situation in the anthracite region and
could make no official statement until
he had conferred with the district of.
ficers.
Concerning the refusal of the op.
orators to meet the miners. Mr.. Mitch
ell said the letters he had received
would be presented to the convention.
but he could not say whether they
would be made public.
THE letters" said Mr.. Mitchell
contained the usual reasons given bv
operators when they object to recog.
nizing labor unions"
Soon after his arrival Mr.. Mitchell
had a consultation with the district
officers
ST. Johns Hotel Chartered.
Columbia, S. c.. March 18.-The sec.
retary of state has granted a charter
to the ST. Johns Hotel company, of
Charleston, capitalized at 100000 The
| officers are ST. J. Allison Lawton, pres
ldent: B. H. Rutledge, vice president.