Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-05-03
The People In The Metropolis Of The
Anthracite Region Are About Recon-
Cled 10 The Fact That a Strike
viii be Declared.
BUT ONE THING CAN AVERT IT
The Possible accommodation
That the Locals Take a Ref
erendum Vote.
WHITE HOUSE EMlSSARY is PRESENT
Associated Press Dlspa,ohs. by special Wire,

Afsociaied Press Dlspatohss by special wirol
Scranton Pa. May 3.-Surcharqod |
with the feeling that % strike will be the |
only means by which their demands upon |
the anthracite operators can be realized, |
the $50 delegates representing districts |
Nos. ] 2 and of the United Mine Work |
ers, covering the hard-coa fields of PENN |
sylvania, assembled In joint convention |
IN the lackawanna County Court House !
this morning, their national president |
John Mitchell, presiding Against this |
feeling of the miners delegates there will
be but one controlling element, and that
will bee the counsel that will come from
Mitchell, for many of them, perhaps the
majority. have been advised by their
locals TO be guided by his counsel. Here.
m the metropolis of the anthracite region.
the people are about reconciled 20 the
fact that tho convention will declare q
strike, and the only thing they feel can
possibly avert IL may be the recommen-
dation, when the real issue comes, that,
instead of the convention taking positive
action, it refer the matter back TO the
locals for q referendum vote. Tho com
vention assembled 40 1905 o'clock, the
Court House being crowded with dele
gates and spectators the general public
being admitted 40 the opening session.
On the call for nominations for presiding
officer. President Mitchell was unani-
mously chosen Secretary John II. Gal
lagher of district No. was made secre-
tary, on the declination of District Presi-
dent Nichols. The credentials Of the
delegates were called for and while this
was proceeding President Mitchell named
the sergeants-at-arms and doorkeepers.
After the appointment Of various com-
mittees a recess was taken until l.3O
O'Clock
The appearance here yesterday Of DIR.
Charles r. Neil. the United States Com
missioner of Labor, has given rise TO
much conjecture among the delegates
They are OF the opinion that he acted
as an cmismy OF the White House and
that he will report TO President Roose-
welt the views of John Mitchell on the
possibility of adjusting the differences
with the operators without q strike being
declared Co force them TO terms. The
secret nature of the commissioners coming
20 Scranton and his conference with tho
mine workers leaders at the home OF a
mutual friend have outweighed the state
ments ol Dr. Neill that he did not repre-
sent President Roosevelt President
Mitchell has refused TO discuss his visit
nt an. and the members of the scale COM
mittee are O unit in saying that they do
not know anything about the subjects
discussed by their leader and the labor
commissioners. They are not inclined to
think that President Roosevelt viii inter
venc az this time to prevent q strike; but
II one is declared, they think It probable
that DE will use his influence TO bring
about q settlement when the public
begins 20 suffer for want Of fuel.
Governor pcnnypackers proclama-
| ton has had the effect of inhaming tho
radical clement among the delegates.
| They say they were not surprised that he
should have tried to intimidate them by
such o manifesto, but the possibility Of
the entire National Guard Of the State
being again ordered into the hard-ooal
/ fields does not alarm them. They point
10 the fact that the division was in the
/ fields during the last strike and had
nothing 10 do but TO act as policemen.
Some of them 90 so far as 10 say that It
will help their cause. II q strike is ordered,
/ TO have the mlitiamcn among them 10
will tend 10 check rowdyism and violence
among those of the idle mine workers
who cannot restrain themselves.
Reading Pa. May 3.-The opinion Of
railroadcrs running through tho Schuyl-
! kin regions is thut the miners will vote
| to strike. While the officials Of the coal
| companies are relicont as to the probable
outcome Of the Scranton convention and
| do not want TO be quoted, several intimate
that It looks like "a fight to q finish.
During the past week q large quantity
Of coal bas heen released from the Land
inpville and Mahanoy City storage yards,
and fhe washeries now in operation are
able to furnish more than enough to
sunplv the locomotives with fuel. Since
/ Good Spring colliery has been started up
more than $50 carloads Of marketable
| coal have been mined and shipped. No
coal Is being loaded at Abrams storage
ward and Is is not likely that anything
will he done there until all the other sup
| niles are exhausted In the meantime
HE coal and iron company is making
/ active preparations TO start up several
additional collieries. Il is claimed, how
over that this will not be done until next
week when the result Of the action OF the
miners will be definitely known.
Mt Carmel Pa, May 3--Early this
morning unmountod troopers came from
camp at the sayre colliery, and moved
freely about the streets, no one offering
insults. Most Of the foreign element
was at home. as commanded by the leaders
~ the United Mine Workers. Members
of tbo latter i'm numerous instances, now
engage in friendly conversation with
some of the residents, principally busines.
men. who assure the miners that It would
he follv for the inhabitants to renew con
ficts with Capt Pages men.
Justice J H. Reed continues refusing
To saw when he will attempt to have war
rnnts served on the troopers and th,
latter also decline to say when they vii
trv TO arrest or punish those already undei
bail accused of rioiing u no one DIE
and mo- Strike occurs there Is "a possibility
that nothing moro OF the suits on eitnel
side viii bo heard of.
M, snrrpundiur country Is being