New-York tribune., 1902-06-20
SOFT COAL MEN TO QUIT.
ORDERED TO WORK ONLY
FOUR DAYS A WEEK.
COLLEGE BOYS ENGAGING AS COAL AND
IRON PoLICE-MoRE WASHER
les STARTED.
fBr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.I
les STARTED.

to the production oe four days Of work week
instead Of six as at present Orders to this
effect have been announced, and it is expected
that other union bitun1inous districts will issue
similar directions. The order followed the visit
here of President Patrick Gildea and his confer
ence with President Mitchell. 1t declares that
Wednesdays and Saturdays shall be idle days
at ali workings where there are coke ovens.
and Fridays and Saturdays idle days where
there are no ovens. Members OF the union who
refuse TO obey the order will be known as
''blackegs' and will be expelled from the union
The order viii go into effect on June 25 and p.
Whether this is violation OF the contract the
strike leaders here do not say, but it is stated
that there is no clause in the contracts that
prohibits the men from stopping work whenever
they desire to do SO.
The result of the order is awaited with some
anxiety by President Mitchell and his assist
ants, as it will indicate the sentiment OF the
soft coal workers toward the anthracite strik-
If it be obeyed generally the strikers here
VIII be encouraged and will feel that they can
look for the support Of the bituminous men at
the national convention. AS ii is now, the
strikers, both bituminous and anthracite, ex-
pect TO go to the convention with enough votes
TO carry their strike resolution No time is
wasted by President Mitchell in making ar
rangements for the convention. Organizers
have been sent to the soft coal regions that are
on strike complete the organization now in
progress. Others will go to the union bitu-
rninous coal districts, and there get in touch
with the men and ascertain their feelings re-
garding a strike. The final arrangements Of
Mr. Mitchell before the convention will be
governed largely by these reports He is to-day
very confident of his ground and are the
officers and others who surround him, while
there has been marked expression Of cheer
fuIness throughout the region, and the order
for the convention is generally applauded-
The fear that there may be a split. those who
oppose a strike remaining at work, has not
much weight with the strike leaders. as they de-
clare that the division of the union would so
weaken it that man having its interests at
heart would take the step. They believe that
the union is so solid that if the convention shall
vote for a strike all The men in the union VIII
Join in the movement as did the men in this
regfcn. They can see nothing but certain sue
cess.
Among the business men who know both re-
sions however, there is the expressed conviction
that the strike order will cause much friction
and not little loss in members to the union
The railroadels who may be involved in this
movement are following the developments close
", especially along the line Of the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad, which takes in all the soft coal
fields of the Middle and Central States. where,
If there should he any discrimination, they
would be chiefly concerned They have little to
say get and no meetings have been called to
discuss the outlook.
Operators here this evening authorized the
following statement;
The latest move of the United Mine Workers
by their executive officers is not causing to US
the slightest uneasineSs. We are in the nght TO
stay Such a call as the one issued is the best
evidence that the United Mine Workers cannot
be considered responsible body with which
an agreement can be made because the calling
f< ~he &c
agreements made are made with secret rsser-
vatlon. Naming so late date as July IL We
look upon as a sign that the officers OF the
union believe that the fight is lost and that
they are now calling the convention only in
order preserve the union from falling TO
pieces at once.
So far as are concerned, whatever is the
action Of the national convention, no concession
!. of any kind Will be made to the union
II President Mitchell tonight held conference
with President ". r. Russell and Secretary W.
D. Ryan, of the Illinois region. who have been
travelling through the soft coal districts for
week. ascertaining for Mr.. Mitchell the feeling
regarding the proposed national strike He is
now informed on the conditions, and tonight
seems much pleased with what he has heard
He would not speak about the conference how
ever, except to say: These gentlemen came TO
discuss with me some Western mining mat
aers"
Secretary Ryan was hardly more communi-
cative. He said that it was too soon TO talk
about the strike sentiment among the soft coal
workers and would not say whether his region
would restrict the output &C coal or not.
The operators are not having much success in
their efforts to arrest the who are guilty Of
the few outrages that have occurred For the
dynarniting case at Hazleton only man is
held John Strack and Patrick McIlhenny. two
suspects, being released for lack Of evidence
AT Scranton Antoni Wazzo, one of the men ac-
cused Of trying to hang John Flanagan, is un-
der bail, but there have been no arrests in the
Oiyphant or the Duryea case. The mine work
ers believe that the guilty parties, finding that
both sides are searching for them, have left the
region. Since Sunday morning there has been
no violence The effective work of the peace
committee Of the strikers. who dispersed crowds
and prevented interference with non-union men.
IS responsible for this
Taking advantage of this lack of violence
number OF the washeries were started again
to-day under guard by the Erie. the Ontario
and Western, Delaware and Hudson and Della
ware Lackawanna and Western, and If there
IS no interference with these work win begin
at others The coal is used for the local trade.
A persistent rumor that the operators would
soon attempt start some Of the mines is
scaffed at by the operators themselves Super
.ntendent c. H. Tobey Of the Delaware. Lacka-
wanna and Western says of this:
We are in no hurry to resume operations at
Che mines When we receive enough applica-
tioas from the strikers will resume work;
but there will be cOaXing part, and
nc inducements offered The men will return
at the cid scale Of wages, and concessinos
VIII be granted
The amount of soft coal brought into this
region has doubled since the strike and now at
many factories large quantities of IL are being
used while the hard coal that is stored is being
held as stock for time whcn, possibly. it will
be impossible for the factories TO get soft coal