Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-10-08
in wages in proportion to his saving in
powder expense.


powder expense.
The offer, as stated by many Of the
corporations and firms, is vague and
misleading. 1t may not only not be an
increase, but In the hands of unscrupul-
Gus persons, and more than one coal
company in the anthracite region en-
ploys such men to figure on the wages
to be paid, it gives employers unlimited
opportunities to manipulate the wage
and powder figures to their own ad-
vantage.
OFFER NOT SATISFACTORY.
Several of the miners whom the Tri-
bune has interviewed in regard to this
| question state that the offer is objection
able inasmuch as it does not guarantee
the increase any longer than it suits
the purposes of the employers to allow
it to be paid The companies also
| ignore the offer of the miners to arbi-
trate other grievances. Some of the
employers offer to ''consder" all other
grievances, but this does not cover the
question.
The miners claim that If the employ
ers desire real settlement they should
place their offer in notices that can be
comprehended by the average mine
worker. The strikers are also inquring
why the employers who run company
stores and pay but once month re-
fuse to obey the laws on these subjects
The notices posted maintain q silence
on these matters, and this silence Is not
creditable to thoes employers who profess
to be law-abiding citizens.
| LOCAL SITUATION TODAY.
Notwithstanding the rain and dis
agreeable weather this morning, every
road leading from town to the colleries
of this vicinity which are making efforts
to work was lined with strikers. The
union men appealed to their fellow
workers to return to their homes, and
the success they attained was shown by
tho fact that less men are at work today
in Highland and Drifton than at any
time since the day the strike was de-
clared.
The Drfton corporations added an
other stigma to their besmrched reputa-
tions this morning by sending home
several painters who refused to act as
deputies. These men claim they are
not employed TO travel through woods
with weapons, but the officials at Drift
ton think otherwise, and as a result a
lot of men who are not connected with
the strike must stand idle to suit the
whms of superintendent Luther Smith.
BOTH SIDES SEEKING LAW.
Residents Of Drfton kept the justices
and constables of town busy on Satur-
day evening with suits growing out of
the strike. Some OF the striking
foreigners Of the town were arraigned
before Squire Buckley on the charge of
acting in a riotous manner and threat
ening men who have not ceased work
The former charge was not proven and
the men were discharged, but they
acknowledged having made threats
against some of their felow-country-
men and were placed under 5000 bail
each to keep the peace, which was
promptly furnished.
Before Squire Shovin striker had
another Slavonian arrested on the
charge of shooting at him. This hear
ing was continued until this evening,
when another case, an alleged attempt
on the part of Paymaster Ii. E.
Sweeney to interfere with Constable
Welsh when the latter was arresting
the defendant in the frst-named suit,
will also be tried.
MARCHED ON LATTIMER.
One Of the most notable marches ever
undertaken in any strike was planned
on Friday, and at an early hour Satur-
day morning $500 strikers, embracing
men from every town between Upper
Lehigh and McAdoo, swept into Latti-
mer and closed up the colieries so effec-
lively that not one employe appeared
for work when the whistles blew at 7
O'Clock. The men entered at the No. 2
side OF the town, while "Mother" Jones
and sixty McAdoo women entertained
Sheriff Harvey and squad of deputies
on No. side.
So well planned was the march that
the guards were not aware of the
strikers presence until every foot of the
company's land in the town had bee n
oyerrun. Unlike the fatal march of
three years ago, when strikers were shot
down on the township road, the deputies
saw on Saturday that it was not a crowd
of foreigners they were dealing with and
they and the sheriff quietly submitted to
the condition of affairs.
When the marchers accomplished
their object they returned to their