Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-04-04
RELUCTANCE TO RETURN
Is Now Said 10 be IN a Measure Due 10
the Discovery That Under the
Agreement Signed
MANY OF THE MINE WORKERS
VIII Work Under More Un-
favorable Conditions
THAN THEY DlO DURING PAST YEAR
,,,ocis,ed l1e.. Dispatches Oy special wires

Annotated fTess Di patch e. oy Special Wires
p;ttsburq. Pa. April 4.-More mines were
in oneration in the Pittsburg district to-
dav tbau Yesterday hut at none were the
C,H confinement OF miners az work. The
p;ttshurr Coal Co. reported 43 rail-
road mines running and II idle. Along
tbe Monongahela and Youghiogheny
Riyers ~ mines were in operation and
II we're closed down The New York 6
Cleveland Gas Coal Co. has five mines
running In the Bridgevillc district the
mine, Of Svgan. Beading Trayeskyn and
Federal arc all closed The same con-
ditions prevail in the Oakdale district
No work IS being done al any of the IN
denendent mines and the operators say
they have been closed down indefinitely.
Ii was confidently expected by the
operators who signed the scale on Monday
that the miners would all be at work today
Their reluctance 10 return 10 the mines IS
now said to be in a measure due 10 the dis
coverv that under the agreement signed
many Of the miners in the Pittsburg dis
trict will work for less money and under
more uniavorable conditions than they did
last wear and that none of the miners Will
be benefited to any extent If the operators
insist on the strict letter of the agreement
being observed II is claimed that valu-
able concessions secured under former
agreements. such as 10 per cent re-
duction on house rent and company store
goods and extra pay for "dead work,
are not named in the new contract.
Il is said that a verbal understanding
exists between President John Mitchell
and Francis L. Robbins. chairman Of the
Pittsburg Coal Co that the advantages
secured by the coal diggers since 1903
shall remain intact. but there is nothing
to that effect included in the present
agreement, and the opponents OF resump-
ton are using this argument more or less
successfully with the miners,
The district convention was again in
session today, discussing the report OF
the tellers on the recent local election.
Many locals did not Use the proper methods
in conducting the election and the dele
gates may order 1t held over.
Il is estimated that the trouble among
the local miners has cost them more than
500 600.
Irwin, Pa. April last night was
one Of disorder and terror at the Edna
mine, No. %, Of the Penn Gas Coal Co.
whero several hundred men are on a strike
for recognition Of the union. The striker
all seemed armed, and from dark until
daylight a continuous fusllade was kept
up. Fortunately, no one was injured
The company, it is said, will put % more
guards on duty at once.
II is considered unsafe 10 Introduce
strike-breakers and serious trouble d
feared il an attempt is made to do so,
Grecnville, Pa, April A joint con
ference Of the miners and operators OF th
Mercer-Butler field will be held here to
night, 10 arrange for tho resumption OF thl
mines.
The operators met last night, and in
dications are that both sides are willn
to accept the 1908 scale.
Wilkes Barre Pa. April All the Co
herles in the. Wyoming region remian idl'
The business community and the miner
await with anxiety the outcome OF tn
conference in New York.