Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1906-02-08
UNION OFFICIALS
IN MOOD FOR FIGHT
MITCHELL TELLS MEN TO PRE-
PARE FOR !CLENESS.
STRIKE OPENS IN APRIL
Possibility Remains That President or
National Civic Federation May Be
Appealed to to Try to Avoid the
Conflict, but Hope Is not Strong
Funds for Strikers.

Indianapolis, Feb. 5.-One of the
most drastic scenes ever witnessed in
national convention of the united
mine workers of America was the final
adjournment of that body yesterday
afternoon after the dissolution of the
joint conference of operators and
miners of the central and southern
districts, and after the national con-
ventton had administered sting
ing rebuke to one OF the
officers of the organization
for transgression of the funda-
mental laws OF the unionism, in vot-
ing contrary to his instructions to
stand for arr increase of wages.
Almost the entire session the con-
vention as taken up by discussion of
the action of President Dolan of dis
trict 5, in casting the vote of the
Pittsburg district in favor of accept.
ing the proposal of the operators of
the central competitive district, which
was submitted to the miners on the
floor of the joint conference yester-
day morning. Resolutions looking to
the dismissal from membership of
President Dolan, another calling for
his resignation and a last providing
that the matter be submitted to the
miners of district for action, were
subjects of acrimonious debate. Fol
lowing caucus of delegates from dis
trict 5, during which resolution was
or DrnC nnl
and Vice President Bellingham for
their action in casting the vote of tho
district contrary to their instructions,
the resolutions were laid on the table.
The apparent determination of both
operators and miners indicates that
neither will make overtures to the
other for further negotiations and, as
indicated by speeches OF both radicals
and conservatives of both organiza-
lions on the floor of the JOINT confer
ence, unless some influence which is
not now foreseen steps into the
breach, the $4,000 men controlled by
the union will walk out of the mines
in every section of the country April |.
There have been intimations that
two agencies-the president of the
United States and the national civic
federation-may be appealed to to set
in motion negotiations looking to re.
Mobilization of the joint state agree
ment, or at least the discussion OF
some possible means Of bringing the
operators and miners together for fur
ther negotiations.
So far as known, however, there is
nothing upon which to base an asser-
ton that either the president or the
civic federation have decided to offer
their services.
Perhaps the most significant state
ments made by President Mitchell
during any session of the present
convention were made yesterday af-
ternoon; first his admission to the
miners that each individual make
preparations to establish a strike fund
which will make each miner self-sus-
tanning for a reasonable length of
time and again, when in answer to u
question of delegate who wished to
be enlightened as to the correct sense
of the resolution adopted yesterday,
he said:
"The resolution adopted is capable
of no two interpretations and at the
proper time all such questions will be
answered"
Means National Suspension.
In an interview last evening Presi-
dent Mitchell said the strike at the ex-
piration of the contracts March 81 will
mean national suspension Of mining
and include the anthracite districts.
Questioned about the cost of the an
thracite strike, which lasted about &c
weeks, he said that its cost has been
estimated by the strikers commission
TO be loss of s25,000,000 in wages to
miners, $50,000,000 of profits to the
operators and $26,O00,O00 loss of
freight rates.
According to figures given out by
officers Of the miners organization,
they expect the strike to bring out
over 100000 men, about 100000 non.
union miners In West Virginia and
Pennsylvania, with the 100000 union
miners.
or this number about 10000 will be
out in the anthracite districts, $4,000
in the Pennsylvania bit1minous dis
trict, $4,000 In Ohio, 1900 in Indiana,
10000 in Illinois, 10000 in Iowa, 10000
in West Virginia, 1000 in Michigan
ant approximately 10000 In Kansas
and Missouri, Texas, Indian Territory
and Arkansas. The states enumerated
will be the scene of the greatest part
Of the battles.
Mitchell estimated that a strike
such as is planned will affect over
100000 of people dependent on the
mining industry for their daily bread.
The dollar assessment should raise ap-
proximately s2,500,O00 Of national
treasury funds by April /. This or.
ganization now has in its national, dis
trict, sub-district and local treasur-
les $2,679.134. The two funds on
April / will probably place s5.000,000
cash available for strike purposes.
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