The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-09-03
SIXTY-NINE CENT RA7E
Demanded by the Miners Of the
Pittsburg District.
WILL REFUSE TO COMPROMISE

They Believe They Have Victory Wen
Within Their Grasp, aud WIN Not
submit to Anything That savors of
Partial. Retreat,
Pittsburg, Sept. S.--Judglng from sur
face indication, 1t seems reasonably
certain the President Ratchford, Of the
| United Mine Workers, and his col
leagues in office win reject the offer of
| the operators to return to work at the
81 cent rate, pending arbitration. Great
| influence has been brought to bear
upon the strike leaders from this dis
/ trict to induce them to assume such
an attitude. The sentiment among the
miners here is so intense for a go cents
OF nothing" settlement that all the
| local labor leaders now in the city have
advised strongly for a continuation of
the fight along the present lines, and
to the bitter end.
Secretary Warner wired yesterday TO
Ratchford that the miners here want
SO cents or defeat, and to submit the
Hanna proposition, as 1t is called to
a vote would only entail needless eX-
penditure of time and money. The re-
/ suit, he said would not be in doubt
for an instant. The miners believe they
have victory well within their grasp,
and having a firm belief In the JUS
/ tice of their cause they will not sub
NIT to any thing that savors of tempor-
izing or partial retreat from the original
stand. The members Of the district
executive board are in hearty accord
with this view of the case.
Colonel w. p. Rend yesterday met
his thousand miners through COM
mittee of IL men selected for the pur-
pose at Mcdonald, Pa, There was an
Immense gathering Of miners, their
wives and children, about the place of
conference The best of feeling pre-
vailed, and Colonel Rend announced
after the conference that there was a
full and candid discussion of the merits
of the last plan proposed for the set
tlement of the strike. He says the COM
mittee that waited on him assured him
that the plan had their cordial support,
and they felt that the body Of the min
| ers would endorse 1t If submitted to
them. The colonel pointed out to his
men how an enforced settlement would
result in only temporary gain to either
side, and repeated to them his well
known views in favor of arbitration.
Another meeting win be held this af-
| ternoon, at which 1t is expected resolu-
ton will be adopted declaring that
Colonel Rend's men will return to work
at the rate proposed to the Columbus
| conference.
d. w. Van Eman, of Gastonville,
manager Of the Pittsburg and Chicago
| Gas Coal company, went to Washing
| ton yesterday for the purpose of secur-
ing deputies. The company, he says,
is determined to start the mines Tues
| day next, and the miners now occupy
| ing the company's houses there have
| been notified to vacate on that day,
as new men will be put in them unless
| the old force goes to work by that time.
| Van Eman fears trouble and wants the
| deputies for that occasion. 1t is said
| there was at first a demand for 90
deputies.
| Dispatches from Columbus state that
! the national executive board of the
! United Mine Workers had a stormy
session yesterday afternoon, and there
appears to be a decided difference of
opinion among the members as to the
| best course to pursue. The Pittsburg
miners want 60 cents, and there is
| some doubt whether they could be in
duced to accept less without a vigor-
Gus protest and a long drawn out con-
troversy. The Ohio miners want all
they can get, naturally but what they
insist upon most Is the maintenance
/ of the differential of nine cents in their
| favor, which they have held so long.
Whether any settlement could be
secured through an acceptance Of the
| proposition of the Pittsburg operators
is a matter of opinion upon which the
members of the miners national execu-
tive board differ. They all agree that
! they cannot act for the miners, and
that the most they can do is to sub
nit recommendations for acceptance
or rejection by the craft. The mem
! bers of the board also differ in their
| opinion as to how such recommended
| tions should be submitted, whether to
a convention of Plttsburg miners alone
or to a general convention. The re-
| peated assertions Of the miners officials
that no settlement be made by districts
places them in a very embarrassing
| position.