Omaha daily bee., 1905-11-12
Committee Will Wait Upon Operators and
Ask for Contract.
Ill, NOT ACCEPT RENEWAL OF AWARD
Demand Will Be for JSint Conference Like
Soft Coal en- Have,
MITCHELL TALKS ,vNClRNING Rtfos'
says Convention NIn Not Meet Until
December II aud that Its Action
Cannot BE FOretold by
Anyone.
OUTLINE OF PLAN Of THE OFFICIALS


PHILADELPHIA, Nov. l1.--A special dis
patch fom Shamokin, Pa, to the Evening
Telegraph says that complete canvass OF
the Lackawauna, Schuylkin and Lenigh
coal districts, shows that the miners
through their delegates to the United Mine
Workers convention, to be held here be-
ginning December IA, will refuse to be
bound after April / next. by a renewal Of
he award of the anthracite coal strike
commission appointed by President Roose-
! Welt, unless the operators in addition agree
TO the union becoming a signatory party.
7 From first hand sources the following
! forecast of the conventions action is justi-
| 6ed.
! committee representing the union min
ers will be instructed to wait upon the oper-
ators and request a conference.
This committee will explain to the oper-
ators, If granted the opportunity, that the
| conference is asked so that a mutual agree
ment may be reached as to the terms of
employment at all colleries after April /.
| The convention will take a stand for an
s-hour work day, uniform pay for classes
! of employees not rated as miners and speci-
! fic terms of employment, but these will be
/ held subject to a joint discussion and will
not be obtruded in advance of the request
i for a conference.
Should the operators issue or post a notice
of their intention or willingness to continue
in force the commissions award in ad-
vance of the convention such notice
will be disregarded it is said by the con-
venuon, unless addressed by that body,
4 the union or to one or more OF it's repre-
sentatives. Failing to get the consent of
the operators TO meet representatives of the
union, the convention will adjourn to allow
for further negotiations and for final in
structions from the local unions in all three
districts
Operators Test Law.
| In the event of the operators refusing to
meet or discuss with union representatives
the Shamokn convention will, at the least
announce the refusal of 100000 union mine
workers to be longer bound by the terms
of the commissions award. Recognition OF
the union in short, is to be the aim and
goal ofsthe convention and to obtain which
John Mitchell, backed up by a strength
ened Organization, the American Fedora.
tion of Labor, and every influence which
he can command. stands committed.
On the other hand the operators ar'
testing the constitutionality of the miners
certificate law. and should the decision OF
the superior court be in their favor, it will
intensity lne miners ueuldnu lOI WTllleI
contract.
Thomas D. Nicolls, president of United
Mine Workers District No. l, which in
cludes the upper Lackawanna mines. anC
:" who is one of the three union representa-
tlves on the board of conciliation, which
passes on differences between the operators
and employees, said
The practical workings of the aware
have fallen far short of the miners eX
pectations. The board of conciliation hat
not been able to adjust differences speedil!
enough to secure the benefits intended b!
the commission. Much of the dissatisfac
ton which exists among the miners is du'
to certain of the operators changing con
ditions OF employment and when the mel
demur, carrying the matter up to thi
board to be threshed out. AS the repre-
sentatlves of the operators object to meet
ing oftener than once week and, post
ponements are frequent months slip b.
, before the dispute is adjusted.
Having honorably abided by the award
to a business agreement which will Civ
, them in plain words what they are to ex
pect and which now can be only obtained
II at all, by prolonged wranglng.
John Mitchell Talks.
PITTSBURG, Nov. 1i.-John Mitchell wa
seen at the Colonial hotel and shown TIL
> dispatch from Philadelphia regarding tn
proposed action to be taken at the miners
convention TO be held at shamokin, Pa
Mr.. Mitchell said:
'It is utterly impossible for any one I
1 forecast the result OF the convention. T
J do so is pure speculation and should no
be credited. Tho delegates will not
3 elected for several weeks yet, so how ca
any one predict the action to be taken a
= tho vnaetinR3p