The silver blade. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1895-1903, 1902-06-20
COAL MINERS CONVENTION
CALL ISSUED TO COAL MINERS.

President MITCHELL VIII Assemble
National Convention at the Ear.
Hest Possible Date to Discuss Ma
ttsnal striIke-Five Districts Made
the ReQuest-All Mines May Close.
WILKESBARRE, Pa, June 2O.-The
long expected call for special national
convention of the United Mineworkers
Of America has been issued by National
President Mitchell at strike headquarters,
to be held at indianapolis at the earli-
est possible date. The date of the con-
vention will be fixed by w. h. Wilson,
national secretary at Indianapolis, who
has charge Of the machinery by which
a convention is arranged.
The convention will be held for the
purpose of discussing the advisability Of
involving all the soft coal miners in the
United States in the struggle now going
on in the anthracite coal fields.
Under the constitution Of the union,
five districts must request action before
the national president can issue call for
a national convention. The five districts
that applied for this convention were the
three anthracite districts, the Michigan
district and the West Virginia district,
where strike is now on. President
Mitchell has had the consent of the Ave
districts for some time, but for some rea-
son did not see fit to issue the call until
now. The request for the convention was
made at Hazelton four weeks ago last
Friday.
President Mitchell was extremely un-
communicative as to what the probable
action of the convention might be. If
the delegates should decide to inaugurate
national suspension Of coal mining
everybody at strike headquarters be-
lieves it would have disastrous effect
upon the industries of the country. The
supply of coal would become so short
that large and small industrial establish
ments weuld be. compelled to suspend
operations, and many railroads would also
seriously suffer.
There are approximately about 100000
coal miners in the United States. OF
these about $50, 900, Mr.. Mitchell says, are
affiliated with the union, and an addi-
tiona' $4,000 comply with the legislation
of the miners organization.
1t is utterly Impossible at this dis
tance to forecast what the national gath
ering will do, because not one delegate
has vet been elected. The anthracite
delegates will go into the convention with
l42,OOO striking hard coal miners at their
back for general strike. The West
Virginia delegates will have approx
mately $4,000 behind them for strike
and in Michigan, where the union has
been having trouble, the delegates will
also be instructed for a national suspen
sion. Central Pennsylvania will contrib
ute certain number Of delegates who vii
want general strike, as will also Ken
tucky. 1t remains for western Pennsyl
vania, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana to otf
set this 1t is officially understood thai
the miners in those sections are not yer.
enthusiastic for general stoppage OF Goa
production.
There is strong belief here that Presi
dent Mitchell has some plan to submit Il
the delegates, and this belief is strength
ened by the fact that he delayed cal
SO long. He had conference with Presi
aent Patrick Gilday of the central Penn
sylvania bituminous coal district on Sun
day, and has been in frequent communi
cation with other soft coal leaders of tn
west.
The great barrier to be overcome in tn
campaign for national suspension is tn
yearly wage scale agreement that man
Of the soft coal miners have with tn
companies. These agreements are locke
upon as contracts, and large percen'
age of the miners in the west are rathe
averse to breaking them.
It is generally accepted by the stris
ers that the real object of the anthracit
coal operators is to break up the unio
in this part of the country, at least
1t is not improbable that the conseryI
tive men Of the convention will be alb
to prevent general suspension and carr
through the convention some sort OF
compromise.
One plan that is talked of is to ha,
only the central Pennsylvania and We
Virginia men help the anthracite worl
ers, and another plan is to have all II
soft coal miners work only certal
number of days each week. Failing
gain anything by either of these tN
moves, then as final card to stop the pr
duction altogether. All the coal that
now coming east is from central Pennsy
vania, West Virginia and Maryland
There will be about 1900 delegates
the convention. National Secretary w
son has already started to send out u
call for the convention. The call is Sc
direct to every local union.
Can Not Fight In Denver.
Denver, Colo, June 00.-The Deny
fire and police board has issued instrl