The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-10-17
The Purpose to act Upon the
Proposition Submitted
by Roosevelt.
MINERS RETURN TO WORK
This is the Recommendation TO b. Made to The
Convention by The Three Executive Boards
Which Have Issued the Call,
The Task of the Ar
bitrators
(By Associated press.l


Wilkesbarre. Pa. Oct. 16.-The execu-
tive boards of three anthracite districts
of the United Mine Workers of America.
in joint session today, unanimously de-
vention of striking miners, the accept
ance of the arbitration proposition sub
mitted by the President of the United
States, and it is reasonably certain that
the advice will be followed and the
great struggle brought to a close. The
convention will be convened in this city
Monday morning, and it is the hope and
the belief. of the officers of the union
that the mining .pf coal will be resumed
before the close of next week after a
suspension of more than five months.
The citizens of the entire region are
much elated that the strike is most over,
because business in the coal fields has
been practically paralyZed since the
strike began.
From the time the news was received
late last night till about 10 o'clock this
morning, there was some doubt as to
how the miners would receive the modi-
fled plan. President Mitchell was asked
to make some expression on the PROPOSE
tion but he steadfastly refused. He was
pressed by the correspondents for a
statement, at 10 o'clock, he cleared UP
the situation by issuing the following:
Wilkesbarre, Pa, Oct 16, 1902.
Appreciating the anxiety and impa-
tience of the public and the mine work.
ers for some authoritative statement
80 L.
say that 1 was unalterably opposed to
the acceptance or acquiescence IN the
form of settlement proposed by the coal
operators because itrestricted the Presi-
dent of the United States in making Sc
lection of the men who were to deter
mine the questions involved in the coal
strike. These restrictions having been
removed and representation given to or
ganized labor as well as to organized
capital, I am now prepared to give my
personal approval to settlement of the
issued involved in this strike by the
commission selected by the President,
and shall recommend to the executive
officers of Districts l. and 8, in their
meeting today, that an immediate call
be issued for a convention, whose au-
thority shall be necessary to declare the
strike at an end.
SLUG TWO
In the meantime, l trust that the peo-
PIE of our country will be as patient as
possible as we are moving as rapidly as
the interests of our people will per-
nit.
(Signed) JOHN MITCHELL,
President, United Mine Workers.
When this was read to the arriving dis
trict leaders and groups of miners who
camo to headquarters to learn the news,
general satisfaction was expressed that
Mr.. Mitchell was willingS to accept the
modified plan, and from that time on
there was no doubt that the strike would
be brought to speedy close 1t was
not until o'clock that the thirty-seveE
members of the three district boards were
called into session which lasted two
hours and fifteen minutes. There was
some opposition manifested in the meet
ing against certain features of the plan,
but after q full discussion of the objec
tionable parts, a unanimous vote was
taken TO recommend to the convention
the acceptance of the proposition.
AS the conference was held behind
doors and bond of secrecy was placed
on every man present, the specific OBJ
jections We're not officially announced.
These are the same executive boards
which, on May s. last ordered the strike
TO begin which action was approved, in
the fact of Mr.. Mitchell's opposition, by
the Hazleton convention a few days later.
1t is expected that some objections will
be raised on the oor of the convention,
but the officers are confident that the cp-
position will disappear when President
Mitchell explains all the features of the
modified proposition to the delegates.