The Somerset reporter., 1900-10-18
The Great Strike.

Tho anthracite coal miners now on
strike, after a. two days convention at
Scranton, Pa, late Saturday afternoon,
decided to accept the 10 per cent net
increase in wages offered by the mine
owners provided they will continue the
payment of the advance until next April
and will abolish the sliding scale If
the operators consider the proposition
unacceptable, the miners are willing to
arbitrate the question at issue. They
also decided to continue the strike until
the operators agree to the conventions
proposal. The resolution Is as follows !:
1--WE, your committee, respectfully
submit the following preamble aud reso-
lutions for your consideration:
Whereas, the anthracite coal opera.
tors have posted notices offering an
advance of 10 per cent over wages for
merly paid, and have signified their
willingness to adjust other grievances
with their own employees; and,
Whereas, they have failed to specify
the length of time this advance would
remain in force, and have also failed to
abolish the sliding scale method of
determining the wages; we would rec.
ommend
"That this convention accept an adj
vance of 10 per cent provided the OPP
orators will continue its payment until
April /, 1901, and will abolish the sliding
scale in the Lehigh and Schuylkill
regions; the scale of wages in the two
last named districts to remain stationary
at 10 per cent above the present basis
price; and that the companies will agree
to adjust other grievances complained
of with committees of their own
employees.
"Should this proposition be unaccept-
able to the operators we recommend
that the convention propose that all
questions at issue be submitted to a
fair and impartial board of arbitration.
1--WE would further recommend that
under no circumstances whatever should
there be resumption of work at any of
the collieries until the operators signify
their acceptance of this proposition, and
you are notified officially that the strike
is ended and all return to work in q
body on the same day"
More collieries were closed by march
ing strikers. About 1900 men and sixty
women and girls marched Is miles from
the south side Hazelton region during
the night for the Panther Creek valley,
where they expected to close all of the
ten collieries of the Lehigh Coal &
Navigation Co., but just as the weary
marchers were nearing their destination
they were met on a mountain road by
three companies of infantry and at the
point of the bayonet were driven back
four miles to Tamaqua and dispersed.
Another crowd of 500 strikers from
the north side of Hazelton also marched
here and succeeded in closing the CON-
pany's No. colliery at Nesquehoning,
near Maunch Chunk, before it was
scattered. The presence of the soldiers
was entirely unexpected and the strikers
were much crestfallen that they failed
in accomplishing the object of their long
march.
The strike of the anthracite United
Mine Workers of Pennsylvania, which
began Sept. II, practically ended, yes
terday, when the Philadelphia & Read
ing Coal & Iron Co. and the Lehigh
Valley Coal Co. agreed to abolish the
sliding scale IN their respective region
and to grant an advance of wages of 10
per cent net at the advance % remain in
operation until April /, 1901, ore there
after. This action meets the demands
Of the Scranton miners convention.
The decision was arrived at after a con-
ference between the representatives Of
the individual coal operators and the
leading carrying companies.
just how soon the official order noti-
flying the men that the strike is ended
and to return to work will be issued by
President Mitchell can only be conject-
ured. 1t is believed that no order to
return will be issued until notice SIM
liar to or In line with that of the Read
idg and Lehigh Co.'S. is posted at all the
mines. 1t is conceded that the result of
yesterdays conference is complete
victory for the men. All the demands
10 their convention are acceded.