New-York tribune., 1912-04-01
100000 MINERS |DLE;;
MAY SOON RESUME WORK
Believed Anthracite Operators
will Offer Men 10 Per
Cent Advance.
MITCHELL HOPES FOR PEACE
Soft Coal Workers Expected to
Ratify the Cleveland Agree
ment and Return to the
Mines in a Month.

Philadelphia, March 3l.-Reports from
all sections Of the anthracite coal region
TO day indicate that there will he no at
tempt made to resume operations It the
principal mines pending the negotiations
for new working agreement. which Will
be resumed in this city on April 10
Meetings OF all the locals Of the United
Mine Workers in the region were held to-
day, at which the officers instructed the
men to remain away from the collieries
and warned them OF the danger OF congre-
eating in groups.
John Mitchell. who led the miners In
1902, delivered a lecture to-day in Wilkes
Barre. He met the mine leaders. who
have returned from Cleveland, but there
was no conference regarding the present
situation He expressed the hope that
conditions may clear and peace be re
stored.
The opera tors Of the principal collierieS
IN the Lackawanna region asserted en-
phatically to-day that they would make
no effort to operate their mines either In
whole or in part. until after the confer
ence.
officials Of the Delaware e. Hudson say
washer.es, but mine leaders say such work
will be opposed The mine leaders say
they are willing that the companies use
all the men necessary to make needed re-
pairs, but that If there is an attempt to
set the washeries or collleries in opera
tion there will be no delay IN calling all
the men out.
No disorder has been reported and none
Is expected Reports from Wilkes-Barre
say that some OF the companies have
guards at their colieries and more are
being rushed 10 that field. but the heads Of
the large collieries near Scranton say that
II any protection is needed they will rely
on their under officials and Office help TO
do the protecting.
The miners also have offered TO furnish
responsible men from the ranks of the
union to do guard duty under Sheriff +. F.
Conner. who has agreed to deputize them
If they are accepted by the companies.
lie will not deputize imported guards.
While the operators refuse TO discuss
what concessions they will he willing to
make at the conference, sentiment
throughout the mine regions Is that 10 per
cent increase will be offered. Many of the
workers are said to favor the acceptance
of such terms. but others want greater
concessions especially the recognition of
the union.
indianapolis. March 3l.-No anthracite or
bitumnous coal will be taken from the
mines OF the country tomorrow by union
miners, as a result OF the suspension. which
went into effect at midnight tonight, due
to wage troubles. More than 10000 miners,
about 10000 in the anthracite field and 250,
900 in the bituminous, will take a vacation,
which probably will last only few weeks.
Different from strike. the miners will
leave pump men and others al work to pro-
tect the mines from flooding or other trou-
BILE due to a shutdown OF the plants
The bituminous miners will be out only
long enough for the wage agreement,
reached In Cleveland 10 be ratified by the
miners by referendum vote
The balloting is TO take place April 10.
and votes Will be counted at the headauar-
ters Of the organization in this city. The
result, il is expected will be known April
13, though the complete count will not be
announced until some days later. Predic-
ton was made tonight by union officials
that the agreement would he supported by
a 20 per cent vote
The bituminous miners are expected to
resume work In ii month
The suspension does not affect all Of the
mines In the South. as the union is not so
strong south of he Ohio River as It is in
the Northern states. The mines OF Wyom-
ing. Washington. Colorado and Montana
also will not be affected. because the union |
contracts in those districts do not expire |
on April 1.
It Is said the miners will lose s1,OooOOO |
every day they remain out. and that the |
suspension will cause a loss in coal pro- |
duction to the country of nearly 100000 |
tons month.
No formal order was issued by the presi- |
dent. John p. White. for the miners TO |
leave work, as the suspension was auto |
matte. since the miners have no agree |
ment 10 work after midnight tonight |
when the contract made two years ago ex-
pires. No trouble is expected at any of |
the mines involved.