The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-14
Advocates of Continued Suspension of
Work in the Anthracite Region
Possibly Are I'm Majority.
VOTE, HOWEVER, WILL BE CLOSE
SITUATION COMPLICATED BY THE AC-
TIoN OF STATIONARY FIREMEN.
Many Diggers Opposed to Permitting
the Mines to F1OOd-President
Mitchell at HazIetOn.

HAZLETON, Pa, May 13.-The situation
regarding the continuation of the present
total suspension of work in the anthracite
coal fields of Pennsylvania is a trifie
clouded tonight. The apparent overwhelm-
ing sentiment for a strike which was in
evidence yesterday is not quite so prom
inent now, and predictions were freely
made tonight that whatever the delegates
in the convention tomorrow determine
upon, the winning side will have only a
bare majority. President Mitchell and his
fellow officials still maintain silence on
the situation. The indications are, how
ever. that the delegates f%avoring a strike
are in the majority and will win their fight
in the convention.
The proposition of the stationary firemen
to go out with the mine workers if the lat
ter will indorse the fremen's demands for
a shorter work day without a reduction
in wages has helped to complicate the sit
uation and no doubt has had considerable
to do with the apparent change in the SEN
timent of many miners who were for a
strike. The radical strike advocates insist
that the Miners Union should accept the
proposition which would res alt in the sus-
pension of work by the engineers, fire.
men and pump runners and this would
cause the operators a large financial loss
through the flooding of the mine workings.
1t is held by them that the mine owners
would concede the men something rather
than see their property ruined.
The convention will meet at 10 a. m. to-
morrow and will conduct its business be
hind closed doors. President Mitchell will
be elected chairman and will make an adj
dress in which he will give in detail all
that has transpired between himself and the
coal presidents since the Shamokin con-
%vention. Mr.. Mitchell and District President
Nichols and Fahey arrived this evening
from Scranton. President Mitchell stopped
off at Freeland, nine miles north of here,
and practically the entire population of the
a brief speech. He said the majority in to-
morrow's convention should rule and if
that majority was for a strike every worker
in the region should respond TO the call
and stand out firmly to the end. If, how
ever, the convention should decide other
wise, he continued, then the miners must
stand by their union, for only through their
organization could they hope to better their
conditions.
President Mitchell, when asked tonight
for an explicit statement setting forth the
miners demands, said that the miners ask
for an eight-hour day, this to apply to all
men employed in and about the mines, and
they also ask for a 20 per cent. increase in
wages for men performing contract work
and an eight-hour day at the present rate
of wag for men employed by the day or
agreements. The demands are uniform and
apply to all anthracite miners in the field,
except the emands for the weighing of
coal, which applies only to the Lackawanna
and Wyoming and part of the Lehigh dis
trict.