Evening journal., 1903-06-04
WILL DECIDE
STRIKE QUESTION
Miners Call a Joint Meeting
to be Held in Pottsville
on June IS
OPERATORS GIVE OUT STATEMENT
They Insist Miners Representatives
on Cancellation Board be Elected by
Majority Vote Of Men-object to
Action of Union.

majority vote OF Men-ObJect 10
Action Of Union.
Wilkesbarre, Pa. June 4. - In the
morning session of the three anthracite
boards of the United Mine Workers
there was little done outside Of out
lining plans as to what course was best
to pursue. In the afternoon they met
again, when they decided to hold
joint convention of miners at Potts
Vile on June 10. for the purpose Of
determining whether or not a general
suspension of work shall be declared.
No statement was made by them out
side Of the bare announcement of the
decision to hold joint convention.
The following statement was given
out as the operators side of the con-
troversy caused by the refusal of the
operators representatives on the con-
ciliation board to accept the represen-
tatives Of the United Mine Workers:
Referring to the official announce
ment Of the representatives of the
United Mine Workers of America, the
contention of the operators represen-
tatives elected to the board of concil-
iatiOn is that the recognition Of the
United Mine Workers Of America was
not one of the questions submitted to
the commission for decision; that Mr..
Mitchell admitted this by appearing
before the commission simply as a rep
resenJative Of the Anthracite Mine
Workers; that the award of the COM
mission specifically asserted that the
recognition of the United Mine Work
ers Of America. as at present consti-
tuted, was inadvisable; that award No.
4, providing for the board of concilia-
tion, lays down certain rules for the
appointment of members of said board.
The representatives of the opera
tors have becn appointed strictly with
in the terms of said award, and there
is no objection on their part to cor
daily accepting Messrs. Nichols, Det-
trey and Fahy as the representatives
of the miners. providing they are elect
ed by a majority of the mine workers
as specified in the award of the com
mission. The objection is solely
against their appearing as the official
representatives of the United Mine
Workers of America, appointed by an
executive committee without authority
for such appointment.
The operators representatives feel
that it is highly important that the
formation OF the board of Cancellation
be accepted by both interested parties
as strictly in accordance with the
award OF the commission, in order that
its rulings may be received without
question and not be open to the criti-
cism of having been made by a board
not fully qualified to act"
When District President Fahy, the
chairman of the miners representa-
tives on the conciliation board, was
shown the statement of the operators
members on that board, he made the
following statement:
There was no meeting Of the stock
holders of the coal companies called
for the purpose of appointing the oper-
ators' side on the conciliation board,
but the representatives of the stock
holders, the officials of the company,
met and selected their representatives.
I ne Mine Workers selected their men,
bers, not by calling a meeting Of all
their members or stockholders, but by
their organization, through their rep
as empowered by the rules
and regulations of their organization,
which does exist. and as provided by
the award of the coal strike commits
sion. We raise no question as to the
manner in which the operators selected
their representatives, and we at least
hoped for the same treatment at their
hands. Our understanding is that
miners and operators shall stand on
an equal footing in every way on the
board of conciliation."