New-York tribune., 1902-05-12
STRIKERS LOCKED OUT.
TWO COMPANIES EXPECT
STRUGGLE WILL BE LONG.
CONTEST BETWEEN NINE OPERATORS
AND OPERATIVES BEGINS. AND
WEDNESDAY WILL DETER
MINE FINAL ACTION.

Hazleton, Penn. May 11-Anticipating the
tction Of their employees. two of the individual
coal companies in this region have practically
locked out their men. This step was taken last
night, when Coke Bros. & Co, who operate the
Beaver Meadow Colliery. and Calvin Pardee,
Sons Co.. owners OF the Lattimer mines, noti-
fed their employees that they need not report for
work until ordered to do so. This order does
not apply to engineers, firenen and pump
ners, whose services are necessary to keep the
mines free from water. These companies, it is
believed, expect a long struggle, and this belief
is strengthened by the fact that at Lattirner
work has been suspended on the rebuilding Of
fan house that was burned last week, and whose
reconstruction was necessary to prevent the
cumulation Of gases in one part Of the slope.
The Lehigh Valley Coal Company announced
to-day that it will give employment to all men
who report for work tomorrow.
Meetings Of the United Mine Workers locals
were held in most of the mining villages in the
Hazleton district to-day and delegates were
elected 10 the convention which will meet here
on Wednesday TO decide whether or not to make
permanent the strike to be begun tomorrow. 1t
is impossible TO ascertain the attitude of the
locals on the strike question. The meetings
were secret and the delegates ordered not
10 dlVulge their instructions until they get into
the convention.
The district headquarters of the United Mine
Workers here were closed this afternoon and
the leaders who have just arrived home from
Scranton were out among the men explaining
the exact condition of affairs. Seventy-fve per
cent Of the employed in the various col
leries in the Lehigh Valley are organized, and
operations throughout the region will be tied
up until Wednesday at least.
II reported to-day that an effort will be
made TO start up the Cranberry breaker, which
is operated by A. Pardee & Co. with non union
stripping men, so that all the coal that was not
sent 10 the surface Saturday may be prepared
for market A poll Of stripping men to-day.
however, indicates that this viii be difficult, if
attempted at ali. These men say that they Will
continue to work at the steam shovels, but under
no conditions will they take the places Of strik-
ers at the mires.
Samuel Nedrey. a representative of the Amer
lean Federation of Labor, who arrived here to-
night said the federation would render all pos
sible aid to the miners in their struggle.
NO MINING IN SCRANTON DISTRICT.
Scranton Penn, May 11-There Will be no
coal mined in the Scranton end of the anthracite
region tomorrow Even though the strike order
was not certain Of being religiously obeyed
there would be mining, as the companies
agreed at a meeting of the general managers
and superintendents on Saturday that at
tempt would be made to operate. Some of the
companies, however, propose to keep a few, at
least, Of their washeries running to insure a
supply Of culm for locomotives. hoisting engines
ana the like. The companies will not admit
that the agreement to refrain from an attempt
at operating is eventually to resolve itself into
lockout
The strike has already made itself seriously
ielt IN other lines of work. The railroads have
lald OF four-ffths Of their coal train crews in
an al about eight hundred men, and the Erie
SHOPS at Dunsmore, where mine cars and ma
Sblhery are repaired, will shut down Indefinite
~ Deglnnlng tomorrow. throwing three hun
ored men out Of employment
Meetings Of all the local unions will be held
tomorrow TO elect and instruct the delegates to
lle aazleton convention The sentiment among
the more thoughtful and intelligent miners is
opposed TO q continuance Of the strike These
men use as one Of their chief arguments the
slsnihcant fact that the companies mine Of
Meals are not soliciting their men to vote
against the strike, although prior to the last
sITiEe these same officials were working day and
night to discourage the men from striking