New-York tribune., 1906-04-02
STRIKE TEST TUESDAY.
MILITIA STANDS READY.
Only Engineers, Firemen and Pump
Runners Expected to Report To-day.
LBy TELEGRAPH 70 me Tribune.

tBy Telegraph 20 The Tribune
Wilkes Barre. Penn, April LEADERS Of the
union mine workers report tonight that none Of
them will go 10 the collieries TO work tomorrow
except the engineers. 1remen and pump runners.
who permitted by President Mitchelrs sus-
pension order 10 keep the collieries from being
damaged by rising water. Operators, in reply TO
this. declare that tomorrow will not be fair
test as the men have for several years been ac-
customed TO observing April l in celebration or
the winning Of eight hour day in the soft
coal region. and II is a holiday they would be
idle even were the agreement which expired
yesterday in force.
Tuesday morning will see the first test Of the
determination Of the mine workers to make the
suspension complete. for then efforts will be
made to operate several washeries in this region.
The big coal companies will not do this they
will continue their present policy of avoiding all
means by which the temper of the mine workers
may be aroused but the attempt will be made
by small owners whose market is in the COM
munity where their operation is situated.
These washeries produce several hundred tons
day. and some as much 1900. with force
of unskiled laborers. whose work consists of
shovelling the culm dust and picking the coal
clean. The washery owners say that most of
these men are not members of the union and
that they are willing to work and to report on
Tuesday morning If the union mine workers will
permit them.
Tomorrow the unionists will have pickets
the roads leading to the collieres, and the union
officer in charge Of each group of pickets will
sanction the working Of only such men as he
decides are necessary TO keep each colliery from
being flooded or otherwise damaged by the sus-
pension. A number of the companies desire 70
start repair work at once. and Will make effort
TO do This will bring about the first contro-
versy of the situation, the question to whether
President Mitchell meant to permit repair men.
who are timbernen and laborers. to work when
he issued the suspension order. Some of the
operators say that they do not anticipate any
difficulty in getting these men
Individual operators to-day declared that they
had not decided whether 10 adopt the attitude of
the big coal companies in deciding not to work
whether they will make effort TO their
mines with non-union men and supply the local
demand for coal. Nothing will be decided how
ever, until the result of the pending negotiations
with the mine workers committee in New York
is known. These individual operators have no
coal except what they will need for their own
colieries stored. and suffer. in the event Of
no mining, a total loss of revenue during the
strike period
Troop B of the Pennsylvania state police
moved yesterday from South Wilkes Barre,
where il had been stationed temporarily, 10
Wyoming. six miles above here where, in the
shadow of the Wyoming monument. Conmodi-
Gus barracks have been created in a fine large
house with large barns attached This has
been christened by the mine workers Fort
Wyoming. The troopers will not patrol the
roads Tomorrow nor guard the approaches TO
the collieTies the officers say. but Will be ready
10 respond 10 any call for assistance. The off,
GERS and men now busy completing the or
gantzation and informing the men.