Middletown transcript., 1903-06-06
THREAT OF ANOTHER COAL sTIKE

The call for convention OF the min
ers in the anthracite coal region, to be
held at Pottsville on June 18th, to decide
whether or not there shall be another
strike, is not pleasant reading. The last
strike, after causing enormous loss and
great harm to the public, as well as to
those personally concerned, was settled
by arbitration after thorough considera-
ton by a board of able men, against not
one of whom was there one word OF COM
plant. And yet already there is this
important action taken toward another
strike. 1t is difficult to believe that such
a calamity will really take place.
The present trouble grows out OF the
way in which the officials of the miners
union, representing only small proper
ton of all those who were on strike,
have taken upon themselves to speak for
all concerned. They may fairly repre-
sent all directly interested, but the op-
orators assert that is guesswork. The op-
orators agree to accept the men appointed
provided they are elected, and that is the
small ground for the threatened strike.
The Board Of Arbitration, in order to
provide way for the settlement OF any
future trouble that might threaten a
strike, wisely declared in favor OF
Board of Cancellation, to be composed
of six persons, three to represent the
miners and three the operators. In case
OF disagreement on the part OF this board,
the point of disagreement was to be re-
ferred to an umpire to be appointed, at
the request of the board, by one OF the
Third Judicial Circuit of the United
States, and the umpire's decision was to
be final. The disagreement now arises
out of the way the three representatives
of the mine workers have been chosen.
The operators assert that one for each OF
the three districts should be chosen by
the "mine workers" in each district.
But the Executive Board or head officers
in each district organization of the union
miners have designated the officials head
of the union minors organization in that
district to represent the district on the
Cancellation Board. The operators hold
that this is not according to the decision
of the Board of Arbitration, and that is
the ground of the dispute.
The contention of the operators that
the recognition of the United Mine
Workers organization was not one OF
the questions submitted to President
Roosevelt's commission for decision is
not denied, and it was stated in the
award that the recognition of that body,
as then constituted, was inadvisable.
Under those circumstances the appoint
ment by executive officers OF the miners
union of the members OF the Cancellation.
Board does seem open to objection. The
award, however, declared that "if there
shall be division of the whole region
into three districts, in each of which
there exist an organization representing
a majority of the mine workers OF such
district. one Of said Board Of Cancellation
shall be appointed by each of said orga-
n;zations." The miners claim that fur
r;shes the authority for their appoint
ments. but the operators assert that the
miners, union does not represent the ma.
iority Of "mine workers and no author
;tv was given to these executive COM
mittees'' to make appointments.-IHe
Philadelphia Press.