Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-06-18
MITCHELL CALLS
NATIONAL MEETING
VIII Consider Advisability OF
haugurating Strike Of All
the Coal Miners.
II flan Is Put Into Effect All
Industries Will Be
Affected.
Would Mean Strike OF 400, 900
Coal Miners in the United
States.

Mitchell has called a national conven-
tion at Indianapolis at the earliest pos
sible moment, to consider the advisa-
bility of calling out all the soft coa
miners in the United States. Mitchell
says ne can not give the exact date
when the convention will be held.
The date of the. convention will be
fixed by National Secretary Wilson
who has charge of the machinery by
which the 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 the action before
the national president can issue the call
for national convention The five dis
tricts that applied for this convention
were the thre anthracite districts, the
Michigan district and the West Vir-
gania district where strikes are now on.
President Mitchell has had the consent
of five districts for some time, but for
some reason did not see fit to issue the
call until today.
Mitchell was extremely uncommuni-
catiye as to what the probable action
of the convention might be. If the dele
gates decide to inaugurate national SuS-
pension of coal mining, everybody at
strike headquarters believes it would
have disastrous effect on the indus
tries OF the country. The supply of coal
would become SO short that large and
small industrial establishments would
esbe compelled to suspend operations and
many railroads would also seriously
suffer.
There are approximately about 49,
900 coal miners in the United States,
OF these abot 100000, Mitchell says. are
affiliated with the union, and an addi .
tional $4,000 comply with the legisla
ton of the miners organization.
1t is utterly impossible at this dis
tance to forecast what the national
gathering will do, because not one DEL
egate has yet been elected. The anthra-
cite delegates will go into the conven
ton with $4,000 striking miners at
their back for a general strike. 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 VIII
also be instructed for national suspen-
sion Central Pennsylvania will con-
tribute certain number of delegates
who will want general strike. as VIII
also Kentucky. It remains for western
Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois and Indi-
ana to, offset this, as 1t is unofficialls
understood the miners in these sections
are net very enthusiastic for gen raj
stoppage of coal production.
There is a strong belief here that
Mitchsll has some plan to submit to
the delegates, and this belief is
strengthened by the fact that he de-
layed the call so long. He had con-
ference with President Patrick Giloay.
of the central Pennsylvania bitumlnous
district, Sunday, and has been in fire.
uuert communication with other soft
coal leaders in the west.
The great barrier to overcome in
the campaign for national suspension
is the yearly wage scale agreements
that many soft soal miners have with
the companies These agreements are
looked upon as contracts and a large
percentage OIL miners III lhe west are
rather adverse to breaking them. The
principal bone Of contention in the
anthracite region is for the yearl.
wage agreement Those who are op-
posed to a general strike use the ar
gument that If the soft coal miners
break these contracts and go on a
strike to help the anthracite men, they
would be losing in the west what the
hard coal miners are fighting for in
the east.
Indianapolis, June 1S.-A call for
special convention of United Mine
Workers, of America for the purpose of
considering proposition for general
suspension of coal miners of the United
States to be held in Indianapolis July
II, was issued from the miners head
quarters here today.