The Oskaloosa herald., 1900-10-11
THEY MUST DECIDE.
Mitchell Tells Strikers They Must
Judge for Themselves.

NJ of the greatest that has ever oc-
aurred In this region. Thousands
SEARCHED In the procession. A mass
meeting followed the parade.
President Mitchell was enthusiast
a1eAlly received when he arose to adj
SRess the a~ssemblage. He spoke of
nc enthusiasm displayed by the men
throughout the anthracite strike re-
gA0a and went into the situation as
n now stands. In referring to the
irrespective ending of the strike, he
said:
'rsYerV sther strike that has taken place
the Anthracite region has been declared
IN By your officers. Heretofore when men
WeRt on strike they remained out for a time
ana then the chief executive or the execu-
tive board declared the strike of without
~as1sulting the wishes of the strikers. I
want to say. as i have said before, that this
qFake will never end until the miners,
Nhrough delegates in convention, end 1t for
NAenselves. We have called a convention.
~ you men are invited to send delegates
Hhere. You are invited to pass judgment ON
ne operators proposition. IL you believe
aaat they act In good faith; If you believe
NJ per sent. to be enough; If you believe
mat they will pay the ten per cent. for a
year, theA you must decide whether to re-
eHnn to wSrk. On the other hand, II you re-
1ect the offer and continue on strike, John
MITCHELL will be there to help you do it.. l
% not expect that this one strike will Grad
SFate all the wrongs from which you suf-
Agr. dc not believe that the accumulation
q 20 years Of injustice can be wiped out at
enee, but i de believe that you have estab
Ashed an organization here that with each
succeeding year will give you improved con
dAons of employment"
No Further Concessions.
Scranton, Pa, Oct. 10.-Interviews
y14h prominent operators here elicit
a a Uniform declaration that no fur
ther concessions or notifications of
h present offer will be made, and
thai the miners must take it or leave
~ just as IL stands, They say it is
RAnhn and complete and contains all
tAey saa OF will concede. The ten per
cent. increase means that every man in
b anthracite mines is to nave $1.lO
tag the work for which he formerly re-
eeiyed enc dollar, the operators say.
sMhe powder item is simply a matter of
Bookkeeping. Instead of giving the
Miners ten per cent. increase fiat, he
WA have his credit side increased three
Per cent and from his debit side will
be s~ubtraeted seven per cent, or what
ever percentage of expense it is found
the difference IN the cost of his powder
aAneunts TO. The purpose is simply to
pat an end to the bowling about pow
der being sold at eXorbitant prices.
Powder is the basis Of the wage scale,
u rs explained, and to decrease its cost
- - knnRannn fho rry, IT,, Ala, -
stOn a decrease of $1.25 in a key of
powder means a seven per cent. de-
crease in the miners expenses. There
tGre, when he has his expenses re-
anced seven per cent. he has his wages
Increased O like amount. The other
three per cent. will be made up by in
sFeasing the allowance per car for cut
ting and loading. Where a miner gets
N dollar a ear he will under the new
scale get $1O3 1-3 cents a car. His
act earnings will be made the same
whether he gets the increase fiat or by
fguring on the decrease on powder.
May Not Be Settled.
WiikesbGrre. Pa, Oct. 1O.-The lead
ers of the United Mine Workers of this
part of the anthracite coal field do
not speak ~ hopefully of a settlement
of the strike by the Scranton conven-
tion as they did Monday. Some of
those interviewed are afraid that the
afer of ten per cent increase in wages
made by h companies may not last
leRg, and that after the men are back
"A work for awhile and the market
is pretty wen supplied, the operators
may reduce wages to the old figures.
His only fair to say, however, that not
all the mine workers are of this opinion.
Fhere is a strong sentiment prevail
nag that the companies are sincere
and that the increase in wages will be
permanent.
IN making the advance in "A the
operators did not act in concert, but
az individuals. So that if the conven-
ton insists upon a definite understand
ing with the mine owners, a week may
@apse before the views of the opera
tors can be had. 1t is more than prob
able that the rules governing the o n
terences between the bituminous OPP
orators and their men will govern the
Scranton men. A close friend of Presi-
dent Mitchell says the convention will
have to come to that before there can
be q final agreement. The coal COM
paaies will have to be represented, or
otherwise it will be impossible to ar
rive at IN amicable agreement. 1t is
pointed out that no scale of wages
was ever fixed by a convention in the
ssft coal region without the operators
being present. There are so many ques-
lions to come before the convention
that it win be impossible to make much
Roadway without knowing what the
operators propose to do.
More Grant the Advance.
Hazleton, Pa, Oct. 10.-The A. S
Nanwickle estate, operating the
GOleraine and Milnesville collieries, anG
calvin Pardee & Company, owners OF
the Lattimer mines, posted notices
Tuesday offering the ten per cent. ad,
n in wages to it's mine workers
The notices are similar to those
posted Dy the other coal companies
There are only about four other indi
vidual operators in this region thai
have not yet offered the increase
among them being G. p. Markle &
Company.
Ahese firms, however. are expected
to make the wage concession within
the next few days. If they do not
and the miners convention decides Z
accept the ten per cent. advance OF
fered, the strike leaders say they vii
he forced To fall into line.