The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-20
Ons Fourth of Delegates Have Already Arrived in
 WiIk8sbare
STRIKERS WANT ID BE
 SURE OF HOLDING JOBS
Some of Them Fear There Will be No Place for Them on Account
 of Companies Refusing to
 Discharge Non-union Men.

Wflkesbarre. Pa, October 19-Delegates to the anthracite mine workers conven- tion which will meet here tomorrow fore noon for the purpose of accepting or re- jecting the proposition of the President of the United States to end the strike and submit all grievances to the arbitra- tion commission appointed by him. began arriving here today and about one quar- ter of the TOO or 800 delegates to the con- vention are now in the city.
 Strike headquarters, which had been extremely quiet since the excitement of last week. began to be lively before noon today. Many of the delegates are in- strueted in various features of the settle ment, but a majority of them will follow the advices and judgment of President Mitchell. There is nothing on the surface tonight that gives the slightest indication that the convention will not vote to send the men to work his week, with the prob abilities still in fas or of Thursday as the day of resumption. A noticeable thing among the delegates was their cheerful ness. It was quite evident to observers that they will be glad to get together and decide to return to work after the weary fdleness of more than five months.
 No Fear of a Hitch.
 All of the delegates who were spoken to regarding the action of tomorrow's convention appeared to have no fear that a hitch might occur which would disar- range the present peaceful trend of af- fairs. A good many of the delegates say hou pdtr or1 ters which they VIII place before the delegates As already stated in these des- patches the principal question outside of the great question of accepting or reject ing President Roosevelt's proposition will be that of strikers getting their old places. A large number of them fear that in the general rush to return to the mines some of them may fail to get work They want some assurance from the con vention that they will be able to get the positions they occupied before the sus- pension was ordered. It Is likely this ele- ment from three districts will join forces and make concerted fight on the floor of the convention for some specific ac- tion. In the face of the fact that the op- orators are on record that they will not dismiss one man who stood by them dur ing the struggle it is going to be ser ious problem to solve The debate, 1t Is believed will take up great deal of the time of the convention which is expected to last not more than two days
 Behind Closed Doors.
 The meeting in all likelihood will be held behind closed doors after formal organization is effected. President Mitch ell will be elected chairman and during the first session in an opening speech to the delegates, he will lay the plan of arbitration submitted by the President of the United States before them for action. He will recommend that it be accepted and the men return to work as quickly as the coal companies can provide work
 National Secretary w. B. Wilson will be selected as secretary and he will have as assistants the district secretaries.
 The first delegates to make their ap- point in the anthracite coal field, where the small coal beds are of a semi bituminous character. At noon a big delegation, headed by District Secretary George Hertlein and Organizer Paul Pu- laski arrived over the Central Railroad of New Jersey from the Shamokin and SchullSill regions.
 There were no reports of disturbances at military headquarters today from any region affected by the strike.
 President Mitchell had many callers today Most of the delegates who arrived today called and paid their respects and congratulated him on the near ending of the struggle.
 Among Mir. Mitchell's callers was May or Samuel Jones of Toledo o.
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