Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-03-25
STRIKE IMMINENT.
Anthracite Miners Will Prob
ably Go Out in April.
Civic Federation to Be Asked to Try
to Adjust Differences.
President Mitchell Frankly Admits that
Strike Is Probable.

Shamokin, Pa. March 24.-Unless the
efforts of the Civic Federation are eff
fective with the coal operators. it is
| more than likely that a repetition Of
| the struggle of 1900 will occur in the
anthracite region. In that year 10000
employees of the anthracite mines were
out on strike for six weeks.
The convention, today, of Districts
Nos. l. and 9, United Mine Workers
of America, comprising the entire an
thracite field. made a provisional strike
declaration, leaving the date to be de-
cided by the executive boards of the
three districts.
The Civic Federation is regarded by
the delegates as the last hope of the
mine workers in their demands for i'm
proved conditions.
The resolution adopted, today. was
| the result of a difference of opinion
| among the delegates as to the methods
to be pursued in enforcing the mine
| workers demands. Resolutions had
been presented to the convention for
all of the districts but none of them
were satisfactory to the entire body of
delegates.
1t was then decided to place the mat
ter in the hands of President Mitchell
and the district presidents and vice
presidents. Before completing the draft
of the resolution President Mitchell tel
egraphed the presidents of the coal
carrying roads, making last appeal
for conference. He received several
replies and all refused to meet the rep
resentatives of the unions.
This resulted in the formulation of
the resolution presented, today. The
resolution provides for the appointment
of committee by the three district
executive boards, who will carry the
mine workers demands to the concilia-
ton committee of the Civic Federation
with an appeal to that organization for
assistance.
The district executive boards met,
tonight. to select the IA delegates who
| under the provisions of the resolution
| are to comprise the committee. After
the meeting President Mitchell said the
members had not been named but that
| men fitted for the mission by their
| knowledge of the situation in the an
thracite coal region would be selected.
During the day President Mitchell
was in communication by telephone
with Secretary Ralph M. Easley of the
Civic Federation, to whom he an
| nounced the decision of the convention
The purpose of the convention in Sus-
pending work at the mines three days
| in each week after April l, if negotia-
tons are then pending, is to prevent
| the storage of coal by the companies
by producing an amount sufficient only
| to supply the existing needs of the
market.
Should a strike occur as a result of
| today's declaration, over 144.OOO mine
workers would be rendered idle OF
this number, nearly 10000 are on the
membership rolls of the unions the du-
ties of the remainder being of char
acter which renders them ineligible to
membership.
After it's adoption President Mitchell
made this statement:
Our convention, today, unanimously
adopted the recommendation submit
ted by special committee.
THE resolution recites the efforts
made by the representatives of the
anthracite mine workers to secure a
joint conference; calls attention to the
repeated violations of the promises
conveyed in their notices, posted one
year dSO, as wen as tne1r failure to
carry out the verbal understanding
reached with the representatives of the
coal carrying railroads, last March.
THE resolution also calls attention
TO the wage scale, which was drafted
and unanimously adopted by the con-
vention, the essential features of which
are: shorter work day; minimum
day wage scale; Uniform increase in
wages, and the weighing of coal where
ever the physical conditions of mining
would make it practicable.
1T further explains that upon inves-
tigation. it is found that the average
annual earnings of the anthracite mine
workers is considerably less than in
any other important American indus
try, while the number of fatalities and
injuries in proportion to the number
of persons employed is greater than
any other industry.
THE resolution then declares that
the mine workers cannot continue at
work during the coming year under the |
Continued on page 81