The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-25
TO REMAIN AT WORK
ANTHRACITE MINERS EXTEND
 TIME AFTER APRIL 1.
This VIII Allow District Executive Boards to Continue Their Efforts to Get an Agreement Sat-
 isfactOry to Miners.

Scranton, Pa. March 24.-Reaffirm- ing the demands already presented to the operators. the anthracite miners tonight voted to remain at work after April 1, allowing the district execu- tive boards of the hard coal fields of Pennsylvania to continue their efforts to get an agreement satisfactory to the men. 4e The miners were instructed by the convention to continue at work until such time as they are otherwise noti- fled by. the official representatives of the three anthracite districts. and the executive boards were Instructed tome gotiate an agreement upon such basis as the boards. in their Judgment. be- lieve the conditions warrant.
 The convention was called upon to enact a resolution lookin to arbitr8- tion as final solution, If the men and their employers cannot agree. The resolution was introduced by a district officer, and in substance asked President Taft to create a commission, similar to the one~appointed by Presi- dent Roosevelt in 1902. A heated de- bate followed with the result that the resolution was referred to the three executive boards. Nearly all the lead- CTS were against 1t. and 1t may never be put into effect by the boards. Wnlle suApeti5lOH .OI .COdl iIlIHlIS on the part of the men has been avoid ed for the present, there Is still a pos sibility of strike, but 1t Is remote. The report of the special committee, instructing the three executive boards as to what policy to pursue. gives the boards wide latitude, and permits them to make any concessions they deem necessary.
 The report Is in part as follows. \ After having considered the situa tion from every standpoint, we real ize that in addition to the interests of the mine workers and the operators. there are many other interests equally affected.
 We submit to you and for your careful consideration the following:
 We hereby reaffirm the demands formulated and agreed to at the spe- cial convention of Districts l, and g. United Mine Work CTS of America, held ini the city of Scganton, October 12. 1908. We hereby confer upon the members of the executive boards of Districts l, and g. of the United Mine Workers of America, full au- thority- to meet the operators of tine anthracite coal region and to nego- tiate with the anthracite operators an agreement upon such basis and for such period of time as they. the mem bers of the executive boards. in their judgment. believe industrial and other conditions surrounding the anthracite mine workers may warrant.
 we hereby authorize and instruct the United Mine Workers and so far as our authority goes, the mine work CTS of the anthracite coal region. to remain now and continue at work on and after the first of April. 1909 un- der the terms of the agreement of 1906 and until such time as they are oth- erwise notified by the offiical repre- sentatives of Districts 1.7. and g. of the United Mine Workers of America"
 Following the reading of the report, there was silence in the han which was broken by President Lewis, who asked If there were any remarks on the report delegate moved its adoption. which was quickly seconded. For a moment 1t looked as If the most important report of the convention would go to a vote without "a debate, but a delegate arose and asked what would happen if the operators would not let them go to work after April 1.
 President Lewis replied:
 If the employers will not let the men continue to work, the responsi biIty for the suspension will rest upon the opera tors"