The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-10-13
TEN PER J. CENT
ADVANCE Will
NOT SATISFY.
Eight Hundred and Fifty.seven Min
crs Meet to Determine Whether
the Strike Shall Continue. Y
THEY ADJOURN UNTIL TODAY.
Remote Chance Of It Being Accepted.
No Conclusion Will be Reached
by the Meeting, it is Thought.

SCRANTON, Pa, Oct. 12.-Elght hun
drrd and flfty-seven miners, who hold
In their hands the power to end or con-
t!nuc the anthracite coal miners strike,
which has been In progress for more
than three weeks, met In convention
here to-day for the purpose Of consider
,ns the ten per cent advance in wages
offered by the operators. and adjourned
until tomorrow without taking any ac-
tion of their employers proposition.
Both OF to-day's sessions were devoted
to organizing the convention and to
speeches by many OF the delegates on
the mine owners concession. 1t was not
expected that anything would be done
to-day outside Of q general exchange OF
Views as to what action the delegates
should take. The convention. after It
was permanently organized, went into
secret session, but 1t was learned from
acknowledgements that nothing OF n
definite nature was suggested which
would lead to q solution OF what is to
the miners knotty problem.
No Chance of Acceptance.
From the trend OF the remarks Of the
delegates 1t was gathered that the ten
per cent proposition as It now stands
has very remote chance of being ac-
cepted. The delegates seemed, It was
learned. to be almost unanimous that
the operators should first make conces-
s!ons In the other grievances before the
offer Is accepted by the mine workers.
Great stress was laid upon the necas-
sity Of abollshlng the sliding scale and
substituting therefor tonnage basis on
which to fix the rate OF wages. The
proposition OF having the operators
guarantee fixed time for paying the
advance was also thoroughly discussed,
while not 4 few delegates said they
would be satisfied with nothing but a
more liberal lncreasr In wages.
The mode of procedure Is q matter
which is now occupying the attention
OF labor leaders. In case the hegconven-
ton comes to definite understanding
on some proposition, the question has
been asked how the operators will be
advised. in view of the fact that the
latter have repeatedly said they would
not recognize the union.
No Opinion Ventured.
President Mitchell well knows that
phase of the strike and none Of the
other labor leaders will venture an opin-
Ion.
That the present convention will come
to some definite conclusion Is not gener-
ally believed tonight. 1t is the opinion
OF several Of the labor leaders that the
convention rs at present constituted is n
little unwieldy. There was a move on
foot to-day that the various PROPOSE
tons. as they are suggested by the del
egates. should be submitted to a COM
m!ttee appointed by the convention for
consideration, and that this committee
make n report to either this or n second
convention. This movement. however.
did not gain much OF start Some OF
the delegates think that the whole sub
ject should be left In the hands OF the
national officers, us limited at by Prcsi-
dent Mitchell in his brief remarks just
before the convention went into secret
session. Mr.. Mitchell Is very popular
among the miners. as was shown by the
enthusiasm displayed as he delivered
his opening address.