The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-06-17
MINERS CALL CONVENTION
The Anthracite Workers to Vote on
the Strike Question.
REPRESENTATIVES ARE IGNORED
Refused Recos suition az Members OF the
Cancellation Board-The Operators Is::
sue Statement Defining Their Posl-s
tion - Mitchell Declines to Predict
What Will Be the Outcome.

What Will Bn the Outcome.
Wilkesbarre. Pa.-After arranging to J
call joint convention Of the Nine
Workers Union, in Pottsville, on June
Is, to determine whether general sus.
pension of work shall be ordered until
the operators agree to recognize Dis
trict Presidents Nichols. Fahey and
Dettry as members of the ConciIiati0n
Board, the district boards adjourned.
While this was being decided Messfs.
Luther Warriner d Connell, the ep5:
orators members of the ConciIiatI0n
Board, after several -orrs' conferences
over the long distance telephone. agreed
to issue a statement This declares
that the sole trouble is due % their des1
cision not to recognize lie three dis
trict presidents rs members OF tEea
union. 1t is OH this Eoint that tue dls-Es
pute rests. The operators statement lss
Referring to the official announces
ment Of the representatives Of the Unie
ted Mine Workers Of America, the cons
tention of the operators representa
tives elected to the Board Of C01cilEa.
tion is that tine recognition Of the 5nts
ted Mine Workers of America was hot
one of the questions submitted t0sfhe
commission for decision; that Mr.;
Mitchell admitted this by appearing
before the commission simply as arep-g
resentative of the anthracite mine
workers; that the award Of the CONF
mission specifically asserted that the
recognition of the United Mine Work
ers Of America as at present consritut-
ed was inadvisabIt; that award No. a,
providing for the Board Of Cancellations,
lays down certain rules for the appoint
ment Of members of said board. q
"The representatives of the operators
have been appointed strictly within the
terms Of said award, and there is nos;
objection on their part to cordially acs'
cepting Messrs. Nichols, Dettry ana 4
Fahey as the representatives Of the
miners, providing they are elected By
O majority of the mine workers as \
specified in the award Of the commiss
sion. q
1.-THE objection Is solely against their
appearing as the official representa-
tives of the United Mine Workers Of 4
America, appointed by an executives
committee, without authority for such Z
appointment. - ~!
"The operators representatives feel
that it is highly important that the for
nation of the Board Of Cancellation be-!
accepted by both int crested parties as
strictly in accordance with the award
Of the commission, in order that itH
1,o paoafuoH yxyffI,ar1fN
ton and not be open to the crit t.cfsl4
Of having been maze by board n0k
fully qualified to act" 81 s.4j5
The fact that the operators thus
plainly leave the way open for an a1nt%
cable meeting with the three ffstfictS
presidents If they are elected by sh8z
mine workers, will not In the sIighfesk5
measure change the action Of the
boards. The members consider thats
the district presidents were IegallT
chosen to represent the mine workers
on the boards and say. that no attenti0n$
will be paid to the operators States
! ment, as it is the same thing they said
to the district presidents at the cous
ference when they refused to officially
recognize them. This attitude they.
declare, is absurd and they Will net:
submit to any change In their plans
dictated by such cause. Therefore,
in support of their position, they issued
a statement calling for convention.
indianapolis. Ind.-John Mitchell
President of the United Mine Workers,
said: "The refusal to recognize these
district presidents as members of the&
Board Of Cancellation was in direct
violation Of the provisions made by the
recent strike commission. The opers
ators gave no reason for refusing to-
recognize these men that had been in,%
dorsed by the Executive Board of the
miners. and said only that they did not
bear the proper credentials I.cannotg
say what action will be taken IL the.
recognition of these three members Of
the Board of Cancellation Is still re- !
fused, and 1 do not care to say whether
or not any other solution than gensE
eral suspension of work is feasible" :.
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