Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-03-20
STRIKE FEELING GROWS.
Coal Miners incensed at thc Attfuoe
of the Operators.

Shamokin, Pa, March 19.-The miners
convention, Wednesday. began the co,:
sheraton of the important mattc,s = ~
ingout of notices posted by operators ar
nouncing continuance of existinS coiiui
tons. Delegates expressed Hlcn ll,cie9t
in a second presentation by Pres. Mltch-
ell of letters from presidents OF opertt Iii,,
companies declining conference VIII
the officials of the United Mine Nurkcls =
Pres Mitchell said that no turther ei-
forts to see ]. p. Morgan had Deen ma &c;
their report which showed the total mum
Der of delegates present 10 De Dol VIII
926 votes.
The convention decided to appoint
special committee of q members, sever
from each district. and A committee OF
resolutions consisting of three menpers
from each district. The vice ,'tesiu9iiil99
of the districts were authorized 10 ssiJ 1Il
these committees. President NlchoiiS
asked whether the sca.e committee Woulu
draw up a uniform wage rate or whethef
several scales would be presenter Dy eaSh
district. ~
trict." said Mr. Nichols and it would
be difficult to arrange uniform fate;
Some regions desire to pay by inc yaIu
and others want to be palu py tnc welsh;
In our district we want 1t weighed ana
we want it so badly we are Wiling 70
fight for it if necessary.
The next business in order was the re
port of special committees consisting OF
dents appointed at Indianapolis to seek
a conference with the operators. Presi,
dent Mitchell announced that letters HAD
been received from operators and he
deemed il advisable for the conventions
| to consider them in executive sess or
His suggestion was adopted and at 1919
A. NJ. the convention went into executive
session. "
President Mitchell made this statement
| after adjournment:
The committee selected to go TO Ne"
| York and the highest authorities OF
| the coal companies and intcrcede with
| the companies to have them withdraw
| their opposition to the examination OF
working cards and arrange for Il 1oint
| conference reported the refusal OF r. Il.
| Thomas chairman of directors OF the
| Erie Railroad to receive the committee
and the consequent failure of their IF ort
| to make the necessary arrangement with
| him.
| ."rhe same COMMITTEE, selected by the
| Indianapolis convention to invite the OPP
orators to confer on the question of Il
| wage scale for the year beginning April
| l. 1902, reported the result OF interviews
| with the railroad presidents and present
| ed letters from the railroad companies IN
| reply to the invitations. The letters show
| q positive refusal to confer with the rep
| resentatives of their employees upon In
| wages to be paid and the conditions of
| employment which should obtain.
1T is needless to say the delegates eX-
| pressed keen disappointment and the OPP
| position 10 cOlltiiluIilS Nolh inc
present low wages and unfair conditions
was unanimous and emphatic.
| President Mitchell addressed the con
| vention and advised caution and prudence
in arriving "a any decision as to further
| action.
| What the final outcome will be is at
| this time purely problematical was the
| concluding sentence of the press commit
tee statement
| Tho indications here tonight, point
| strongly to a strike declaration, and it Is
| said by some of the men that the decla
| ration may come as early as Friday 81
| this week. The operators letters seen
| to have caused much hitter feeling among
| the men.
| philadelphia, March lit was Learned
| here tonight. from a trustworthy source
| that in refusing to enter joint confer
| ence with representatives of the United
| Mine Workers Union, the officials of the
| great coal carrying railroad and Goa
| companies We're careful to word their dec
lination in such way that it was moi
/ direct refusal to meet the miners rep
resentatives because they were sucn.
| According to a high railroad official
| President Mitchell requested a joint con
| ference similar to that between bitumi.
I nous miners and operators with view
| to agreeing upon a new wage scale which
| would be uniform throughout the anthra
cite coal fields. To this request the com
panies generally answered by letter, say.
ing that it was impracticable to arrange
| a wage scale that would be uniform be
cause of the different conditions of min
ing in the different fields. and on thl
| ground that nothing could come Of it
declined to meet in a joint conference "a
proposed.