The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1902-03-21
ANTHRACITE MINERS
LAY CALL A STRIKE
Ur :. i Mine Workers Meet to
Consider grievances.

Consider Grievances.
COZ -NTIoN AT sHAMoKIN, PA.
The re Many Grievances to be Con.
81. ed, 1t Is Said,of More Impor
tance Than Recognition of the Body
az a Union.
| Shamokin, Pa, March 1S.-A special
train from the upper anthracite re-
gion today brought here a majority of
the delegates to the convention of the
United Mine Workers of districts 1,
z and 9. which began at noon. Many
OF the delegates from the lower sec.
ton came in yesterday. Neither Ma.
tional President Mitchell nor National
Secretary Wilson have arrived, but it
is expected they will reach here this
afternoon.
1t is next to impossible to obtain q
clear Idea of the intentions of the
delegates. District No. 1, comprising
the Lackawanna and Wyoming re.
| g1ons, where there is said to be much
dissatisfaction, practically controls the
situation, and should the delegates
| from that region declare for q strike
the remaining districts would be com.
pelled to accept the inevitable.
According to Secretary Hartlein, of
district No. ., the Shamokin district,
there are $4,000 mine workers in the
anthracite region, and SO per cent of
these are members of the United Mine
Workers of America. District No. l,
comprising Lackawanna, upper I.u.
zerne and Wyoming counties and Dor.
tions OF the Schuylkill and Carbon
counties, have 176 local branches, with
a representation of about $50 dele.
gates In the convention. There are "a
locals in district 7, which includes low.
er Luzerne and portions of Schuylkill
and Carbon counties. This district
sends 100 delegates. District No. 8,
comprising lower Schuylkill, Dauphin
and Columbia counties, is entitled to
send something over 200 delegates.
Although official statements con.
oerning the probable action of the con.
vention are difficult to obtain, it is in.
| timated by some of the officials that
recognition of the union will not be
the chief issue. There are many griey.
ances to be considered of more impor.
tance, 1t is said, than recognition of
the union as q body.
Inc important business will be
transacted behind closed doors and the
| proceedings announced through the
medium Of press committee.
Among the matters to be brought to
| the attention of the convention are
the reports Of the president John
Mitchell, and his assistants in their ef
rorts to settle existing differences with
the operators and the replies they re-
celved. The eight-hour day recogni.
tlon OF the union grievances of firemen
and many other questions of vital i'm.
portance Will also come up.
1T is stated that the combined treas.
urles Oh the three districts now contain
| 100000.
Ralph NJ. Easley, Of Chicago, secre-
tary Of the Civic Federation, arrived
here today He said his visit had M
connection with the miners conyen.
tlon. His object, he said, was to meet
PRESIDENT Mitchell, who is a member
or the conciliation committee of the
civic federation. There are some mat.
tters before the commission, Mr. Eas.
| ley said. that require attention. and he
| desired to see Mr.. Mitchell before the
latter left for the west.
President Mitchell, of the United
Mine Workers, arrived from Altoona
| at IL o'clock. Secretary Adams was
not with him, having gone to West
| Virginia to preside over a convention
or bituminous coal miners. Mr.. Mitch.
ell said he was not in touch with the
situation In the anthracite region and
could make no official statement until
he had conferred with the district OF.
| fcers.
| Concerning 1.-The refusal Of the on.
| orators to meet the miners, Mr.. Mitch.
ell said the letters he had received
| would be presented to the convention.
but he could not say whether they
would be made public.
b. "The lettefs," said Mr.. Mitchell
contained the usual reasons given by
operators when they object to recog.
| n1ziug labor unions"
| Soon after his arrival Mr.. MitcbalI
had consultation with the district
officers! .r
!
| Gold HHJ Copper ConnnsnH