The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-10-22
COAL STRIKE OFFICIALLY ENDED.
Vote Was Unanimous--Union Will
Take Care of Those Engi-
neers and Others Who
Cannot Get Work.

\
shout that fairly shook the convention
bnilding. the represen tatives of the
I47, 600 mine workers who have been
on strike since last May, ofhcllally
declared off at noon today the greatest
contest ever wased between capital and
labor and placed all the questions IN
volved in the struggle into the hands
of the arbitration commission appoint
ed by the president of the United
States. When the news was flashed
| to the towns and villages down IN the
valleys and on the mountains Of the
coal regions, the strike affected IN
habitants heayed a sigh of relief:
| Many days have gone. by since more
welcome news was received. Every
where there was rejoicing and IN
many places the end of the strike
was the signal for impromptu town
celebrations.
The vote to resume coal mining was
8 unanimous one and was reached only
after asWarm. debate. The principal
fobjec5ion to accepting the arbitration
| proposition was that no proposition
was contained in the scheme to take
care of those men who would fail to
get back their old positions. or would
be unable to get any work at ali. The
engineers and pumpmen get better
nay than other classes Of mine work.
ers, and they did not care to. run the
risk OF losing altogether their old
places and be compelled to dig coal for
living. This question came up yes
terday and was argued right up to the
time; the vote was taken. No one had
| a definite plan to offer to overcome the
objection and the report Of the COM
mittee on resolutions, recommending
that thestrike be declared off and that
! all issues be: placed in the hands OF.
| the arbitration commission for decl-
SION, was adopted without the qnes-
| ition being settled. A few moments
before adjournment, however, partial
tsolution was reached when a delegate
lin the farthest corner of the hall
moved that the problem be placed, in
the hands Of the three executive
boards for solution and has suggestion
was adopted.
The question of taking care of all
linen who will fail to get work i'm
mediately, will be serious one for.
the union. THERE'S no doubt the ex-
tecusiT boards will take care of the
Ienginsers: fremen and pumpmen, but
three are thousands of other classes
tof mine workers who@wiA have to be
looked AFTER In some places hundreds
4 viii not be eable&to get work for weeks,
and In other localities where the mines
are in Tery bad condition, thsre will
be no employuent- for many Workmen.
faT some months. ere
HnndreGs of men, needed to repair
/ the mines and otherwise place them
/ In condition for operation, HM be at
work tomorrow morning, the CON
i vantion having decided that this was
/ imDaratigeain ordertas get the men at
/ work dnickIy and satisfy the coun-
1 tT9,sfdemand for: :eoals ALI the locals
/ will hold meetings tomorrow at Whaeh
inssruetionsxwiiis be- given the mem
:bars regarding their application on-for
President Mitchell received many
congratulatory kilograms from all over
| the: country afteIs~the news spread
shas Sheastrike was: ended
sIi1e@qnestion- :of ending the strike
cane ND IN the convention IN fhe
1 form of report from. the. committee
on resolutions ass9o IauRs::
| tft We the COMMITTEES on resolutions,
beg leayeTto recommend that the fol-
aoTingecommnnicat9nSbe Sbe adopted and
| forwarded TO Theodore Roosevelt,
| president ;of The United States Of
EAmeriea; ....:s::...,z4
| ~ Nilkesbarre, Pa, Oct. 81.
Hon. Theodore Roosevelt, Washington.
I Stv,1-
| ofeemployes OF e1Hyarious coal COM
| panies engaged in operating nines:in
| the anthracrite: coal fields Of Penn
syIganis, .s.in convention assembled,
hayingkunder consideration your tela-
! gram of Oct. Is, 1907 addressed to
John Michen, president of; the United
1 Nine Workers of America, which
| reads as follows:
have appointed as commissioners,
Brig. Gen. John H. Wilson E. w.
Parker, Judge George Gray, =. Z.
CLARK. Thomas 3. Watkins, Bishop
| j. II. Spalding, with Carroll D.
| Wright as recorder. These names are
| accepted by the operators and now
earnestly ask and urge that the miners
Likewise accept this commission. 1t
is a matter of vital; concern to all our
people, and especially to those in our
| great cities, who are least well off,
that the mining of coal should be re-
sumed without moments unneces-
sary delay"
3 Ne have. decided to accept the pro-
position therein embodied and submit
all questions at issue between the
operators and mine. workers Of the.
anthracite coal region for adjustment
to the commission which you have.
named.
In pursuance of that decision We
shall report for work on Thursday
morning, Oct. %, in the positions and
working places occupied By us prior
30 The inauguration. of the strike. -
Weshave asked John Mitchell, presi-
dent Of the United Mine Workers of
America WITH such assistants as he.
may select, tosrepresent rs in all hear
ings before the commission.
80 jis:s John Mitchell,
Chai~roan.of sEypnvention