The Forrest City times., 1902-06-20
PREGNANT WITH TROUBLE
Call for a Special National Conven-
ton of the United Mine
Workers of America.
IT WILL Be HELD IN INDIANAPOLIS.
The Result May he Lntire Sus-
pension of Bituminous Coal Min
ing and "A Consequent stagnation
of Industrial and Transportation
Utilities

Wilkes barre, Pa. June 19.-The
long-eXpected call for a special ma
! tional convention Of United Mine
Workers of America was issued,
Wednesday, by National President
Mitchell at strike headquarters, to
be held at indianapolis at the earliest
| possible date. The date of the con-
vention will he fixed by ". h. Wilson.
national secretary, at Indianapolis,
who has charge Of the machinery by
which convention i arranged.
The convention will be held for
the purpose of discussing the advisa-
bility Of involving all the soft coal
miners in the United States in the
struggle now going on in the anthra-
cite coal fields.
The Five Petitioning Districts.
Under the constitution of the
union. five districts must request
convention before the national presi-
dent can issue a call for national
convention. The five districts that
applied for this convention were the
three anthracite districts. the Michi-
gan district and the West Virginia
district where a strike is now on.
President Mitchell has had the CON
sent Of the five districts for some
time, but for some reason did not see
fit to issue the call until now. The
request for the convention was
made at Hazleton, four weeks ago
last Friday.
Mitchell Uncommunicative.
President Mitchell was extremely
uHcommunicative as 70 what the
probable action of the convention
might be. If the delegates should de-
eide to inaugurate a national suspen-
sion Of coal mining everybody at
strike headquarters believes it would
have a disastrous effect on the indus
tries Of the country.
The supply OF coal would become
So short that large and small indus
tries would be compelled To suspend
operations and many railroads would
also seriously suffer
Nearly Half n Million Miners.
There are approximately about
10000 coal miners n tire United
States. OF these, abeat so 600. Mr..
Mitchell says, are affiliated with the
union, and in additional 10000 com
| ply with the legislation Of The min
| ers, organization. L IS utterly i'm
| possible at this distance t. forecast
what the national gathering viii dc.
! because not one delegate has vet
been elected. The anthracite dele
| gates will go into the convention with
l42000 striking hard coal miners at
their back for d general strike. The
! West irgiaia delegates VII have APP
proXimately $4,000 behind them for
a strike, and in Michigan, where the
union has been having trouble. the
| delegates will also be instructed for
national suspension. Central Penn
sylyania Will contribute certain
number of delegates who viii want
Il general strike, as VIII also Ken
| lucky.
| Where the Opposition Lies.
II remains for western PennSvlva-
mia, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana 10 off
set this. as it is unofficially under
stood that the miners in those sec
tons are not very enthusiastic for a
general stoppage OF coal production.
There Will be about l 600 delegates
In the convention. National Secre-
tary Wilson has already started to
send out the call for the convention
The call is sent direct 10 every local
union, and does not first 90 through
! the district Offices.