New-York tribune., 1902-06-19
GENERAL SUMMARY.

The United Mine workers To-Day looh tne
biggest step ever taken by labor union
national convention called for the purpose
of declaring q general strike of the 3634 Abb
union miners if the majority vote for II. The
convention is to be held Indianapolis on
Thursday. July IL.
This is what was expected after the two Gays
consultation Of the anthracite offlclals "i'h
President Mitchell There is now in prospect
titanic struggle between labor and capital Ior
once the soft coal workers in the organized dis
tricts go out there is no guessing how wide VIII
be the strike. The rairoaders expect TO be III
xo,ved almost Immediately by refusing to haul
non-union soft coal Mil workers Will be ldle,
steamers will have no coal. and all industries
that need steam will be shut down, providing
the strike is complete The present strike sus-
,,ends the mining of S50ootD tons of coal a
month. The proposed strike would shut OF
100000 tons more. and there would remain to
be produced by non-union labor in eight widely
scattered States some 100000 tons monthly,
about one-fifth OF the total monthly output At
once would ensue the fight against hauling this
one-ffth TO market. and if this could be pre-
vented the tie-up would be complete and no
coal would be produced.
This is the ambition OF the United Mine Work
ers on strike Whether it will be furthered by
the union miners now at work the convention in
July Will tell The outlook is ominous. While
there is no doubt that most of the men now at
work are opposed strike, because they have
their contracts for year and grievances,
the strength of the strikers is great that they
now control almost half the votes that will be
represented at the convention If the States
now at work fail send full complement of
delegates the strikers may win without a strug-
gle. If all the workers were in good standing
the strikers would have about 1.T22 votes and
the men now at work ], 81. but the dues Of
only about 40 per cent are paid within the three
months limit the delegates Will not, be so many
as appear now paper. However, the proper
1ion of votes will remain the same. and the
strikers have gain only a few to have the
1najority required to carry strike resolution
The question o. the soft coal workers con-
tracts preventing them declaring a strike has
10 weight. The national convention has the alb
solute power TO declare all contracts and agree
1nents abrogated according TO the vote of the
majority. while in Of the contracts does
there exist any distinct clause that the miners
shall not strike, although the moral obligation
OF working until the contract expires remains
Yesterday one hundred were imported
from Philadelphia by the Erie Coal Company
for the declared purpose Of employing them on
the Cannon Ball trolley route. When the men
reached No 6 colliery Pittston. they were told
that their services would be turned toward
operating the colliery. The men refused and.
fearing least they would be detained. fed IN
haste and disorder
IT is generally accepted by the strikers that
the real object of the anthracite coal operators
is to break up the union in this part Of the coun
Try at least II is not improbable that the con-
servative men in the convention will be able to
prevent a general suspension and carry through
The convention some sort of compromise One
plan that is talked Of is to have only the Cen
tral Pennsylvania and West Virginia men help
the anthracite workers and another plan is &c
have all the soft coal miners work only GER
tain number of days each week. Failing to gain
ANYTHING by either of these two moves then, as
a final card, stop the production altogether. All
the coal that is new coming East is from Cen.
trail PENNSYLVANIA, West Virginia and Maryland