New-York tribune., 1902-07-26
MITCHELL is CONFIDENT
LEADERS AND WORKERS WELCOME HIM
WARMLY IN WILKEsBARRE.
TRIBUTING RELIEF FUNDS-MINERS
LEAVING STRIKE REGION
LEAVING STRIKE REGION

WILL CONFER TO-DAY ON PLAN FOR DIS
TRIBUTING RELIEF FUNDs-NINERs
LEAVING STRIKE REGION.
IBY TELEGRAPH TRIBUNE.]
Wilkes barre, Penn. July 25.-President Mitch
ell returned here this evening after two weeks
absence, and will make this city his headquar-
rers until the end Of the strike He was well
coined by several of the district leaders and a
number Of miners. who shook his hand; some
said God bless you," in the fervor of their
greeting. Mr.. Mitchell was too busy to talk
much. A large amount of correspondence await
ed him. and local officers and committees were
there TO make reports. He said that the outlook
gratifying and the situation now very sats-
factory. There was confidence in his tone. He
WAS told that Judge Jackson, of Parkersburg,
W Va. had released Mother Jones, suspend
ing sentence, and merely reprimanding and
warning her, and that the warrant for Secre-
tary Wilson would not be served. Speaking of
the West Virginia cases. he said that the state
nent that the union would appeal to President
Roosevelt was nonsense. I'VE will appeal but
We viii fight them in the courts" he said "be-
fore taking them before President Roosevelt
We viii ask for hearing before another judge
and then take the cases to the Supreme Court"
President Mitchell could not say anything
about the plans for distribution of the relief
funds except that the arrangements were all in
the hands Of the locals and the district officers
These officers he expects to see tomorrow and
hear their reports Of the plans formulated Mr..
Mitchell may soon have a public statement to
make.
The first instalment Of the relief fund was
received by each OF the three district secretaries
to-day al Shamokin. Hazleton and Scranton
but neither would mention the amount received
nor say when the first distribution will be made.
Il is understood TO be the plan to allow the
locals 10 exhaust their funds before giving to
them a portion Of the strike fund, which to be
effective must be distributed through the locals
and many of them have still considerable
money they will be able to look after their
men for some time. Some of the locals object
TO this and there seems to be much trouble brew
ing for the committeeman. The evident inten-
ton Of the leaders is TO place money only where
the men in actual need OF it. while the
strikers desire to have a general distribution,
each man receiving equal share of the money.
As il would not last long under such conditions.
the union will not make such a distribution
The leaders recognize that they will have trou-
bic at first. but they believe that it will end in
a short time and that the men will see that
their chances of victory are greater if they
make the strike fund go as far as possible.
The operators report no change in the situa-
ton except that the number or applicants for
work is increasing daily. They say that there is
much discomfort over the strike fund plans, and
some complain bitterly that because they have
some money they are not to share in the fund
The strikers officers are now endeaVoring to
have the men employed in fishing coal from the
river between Nanticoke and Harrisburg stop
work, and thus prevent the sale of the coal that
they rake from the bottom of the river. These
men belong TO union, but, despite this a
number Of them employed at Herndon, have
been induced to quit work AS no skill is re-
quired. the boat owners will engage laborers
and continue TO get coal Owing to the floods
this year and the present high water, great
deal of coal has been washed down the river.
and the fishing crop is unusually large Some
of the boats manage to get several tons day
which sells for So to 81 ton. The workers
are paid 81 50 day, and il costs 80 cents to load
the coal the cars, that the profit of the
contractors is large The best beds are found at
places near Harrisburg where the rock forma-
ton of the river bottom catches the coal in
rifles and pockets. Union men who have wanted
TO get work of this kind have been denied the
privilege by the union officers.
The departure Of miners to the West has, since
the convention declared against a general strike
been increasing daily, and is expected to grow,
since those who go first will get the available
places Fifty left here to-day from Pottsville for
the western part of this State. The unions in
Ohio and Illinois are preparing 10 give large
number of the workers places in the soft coal
mines there.
many to-day sent notices to the strikers who
rent the company's houses that the company
must have the rent paid UP to this month
Whether not the company intends to evict
the tenants If the rent is not paid has not been
stated.
Preparations continue to be made for a re-
sumption of work at the oxford colliery. 1t
was reported to-day that two more men had
returned 20 work there. President Nichols said
that he was not worrying over any preparations
that were being made by the operators to re-
sumo work at the collieries- They cannot re-
sumo" he said, until they get men, and this
hey until the strike is settled"