Evening journal., 1902-05-10
MINERS WILL
STRIKE MONDAY
Executive Committee Of Uhhn
Issues the Call
Leaders Refuse to Assume Response
biIity for a StruggIs-MitcheII
Reads Statement

Scranton, Pa, May 10.-A general
strike of the miners of the anthracite
region has been ordered for Monday
next, but the order has string to it
The question as to whether the strike
is to be made permanent is left to
the decision of a convention OF dele
gates of all the local organizations OF
the mine workers, to be held at Halle
ton next Wednesday.
At 4.SO p4 m. yesterday the commit
teemen assembled and remained
in session until 730 o'clock. When
the session concluded, President
Mitchell prepared a statement, and
assembling the newspaper men at the
ST. Charles Hotel, read to them as fol
lows from a typewritten paper:
ITO the anthracite mine workers OF
Pennsylvania-Gent the execu
tive committees of the anthracite mine
workers who we're delegated by the
Shamokin convention to represent you
in the negotiations with the railroad
presidents and mine operators for the
purpose of obtaining increased wages
shorter hours and better conditions
Of employment, have exhausted al
peaceable, conciliatory and honorable
means at their command and have
failed to secure any concessions of. g
tangible nature, and while under the
resolutions adopted by the ShamokiI
convention, authority was vested IL
the executive committees should they
fail in the negotiations to inaugurate
a strike at whatever time, in theii
judgment. held out the greatest prom
ise of success, the committees after
three days serious deliberation, fee
that in justice to the anthracite mine
workers and those dependent upor
them, before a general strike is inau
gurated, the question should be further
considered by a delegate convention
in which representatives from the va
rious local unions shall be fully in
structed by their constituents and
prepared to vote in favor or in opposi
tion to a complete cessation of work.
'In the meantime, all persons EN-
ployed in or around the collieries
strippings, washeries and breakers
are instructed to temporarily abstain
from working, beginning with Monday
May u, and continuing thereafter un
til final decision is reached by a del
egate convention, which will convene
on Wednesday morning, May IA, al
Hazleton, Pa.
"The instructions for all men to sus
pend work on Monday does not include
firemen, engineers. pump men and
other labor necessary to preserve the
properties of the operators"
The order is signed by all the dis
trict presidents and secretaries.
There was a big crowd about the
st. Charles Hotel when the order was
given out, and the proverbial dropping
of a pin would have been audible al
any time. President Mitchell, stand.
ing in the centre of the crowd on
chair read the statement Immediate
ly upon the conclusion of President
Mitchells reading the crowd scattered
and in an incredibly short space OF
time the news had spread by word OF
mouth and message all through the
valley. A thousand varying comments
might be heard from the miners as
they learned Of the committees action
No one sentence could cover the gen
eral sentiment.
There is not a particle of question
but that the miners will religiously
obey the order, and that on Monday
next not so much as a shovel full If
coal will be mined in the Lackawanna
Valley.