Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-10-15
Striking Miners Will Accept Offer
of the Operators.
THERE MAY Be some HAGGLING
This Week viii Probably See Last
of the Trouble.
THE MEN ARE STILL OUT
Special From a staff Correspondent.

Special From staff Correspondent.
SCRANTON, Pa. October 15.-Notwith-
standing surface indications to the con-
trary. there is every reason to believe that
the great coal strike will be declared Off
by the end of this week and that the men
will go TO work under practically the orig
inal offer of the operators of 10 per cent
advance.
1t may be stated now that the labor lead
ers have at no time expected better terms; /;
that in the circumst tances they were salts
fled with these terms, and that for two
weeks their whole aim and object has been
TO bring the miners around to their way of
thinking.
They succeeded partially in this object, in
the action of the convention. The resolu'
tions adopted were skillfully drawn to per-
init further moves in the direction which
the leaders have in view. The next few
days will be devoted to gradually letting
the situation down TO the basis of the Oper-
ators' original offer. upon which they still
insist.
When the convention assembled here last
Friday II was known to some that the
labor leaders were intent upon the one pur-
pose of meeting the offer of the opera tors.
President Mitchell denies the existence of
an agreement to accept it. However that
may be, acceptance was the goal of COM
mon effort. 1t was explained in The Star S
dispatches how the sentiment of the con-
vention threatened to upset the leaders
plans. An influential element among the
delegates was intent upon making demands
which would be impossible of fulfillment
For two days the leaders played the men
along. handling them with consummate
skill and obtaining from the convention
wide latitude of power to act.
settlement Left to the Leaders,.
al mt and
Mitchell and the executive committee have
carte blanche to settle this strike Unless
unforeseen circumstances, absolutely be-
y"nd human ken. interfere this power will
be exercised this week to settle on yir-
tuaily the operators original terms
When il is all over 1t will be found that
the labor leaders have accomplished a
great deal for the United Mine Workers
organization. After all one of the princi-
pal objects of the strike the upbuilding
OF the union in the anthra cite region Years
OF patient effort in the bituminous region
had resulted in the creation of a union
which Is the marvel of the labor world
1t needed, however, to be perfect to have
the cooperation of the anthracite region.
In organizing the union here the labor lead
ers have been successful beyond their wild
est hopes.
an advance of 10 per cent will facilitate the
growth of the union during the winter and
make it easy for a big strike in April to
secure other concessions which might be
waived a this time.
1t will he found that this is the argument
which will be made to reconcile the miners
TO the final settlement of the present strike,
which will leave some of their grievances
still existing and unredressed.
1t is yet little vague how the final
wind-up will be accomplished. 1t is proba-
hle, however that the executive committee
and President Mitchell will direct the
miners 10 return to work on the 10 per cent
basis, and that the workmen in each mine
confer with the operators through commit
tees. Care will be taken to have these
committees consist largely of miners who
are members of the union
An Interesting Situation.
The situation is interesting in some of its
features today. On the one hand the
miners are jubilating, thinking they have
gained victory in most Of their griey-
ances. There are the labor leaders holding
out for imaginary list of concessions
and the operators vowing stoutly that they
Will not concede.
Yet all the time II is known that negotia-
uons are proceeding steadily for the ac-
ceptanCe OF the operators original offer
the reference Of other grievances to future
conferences between the men and their en-
ployes and the resumption of work al
most on a day fixed. There will have TO be
little more blufting on both sides, perhaps
some bitches in the program in the case of
individual collferies, but If the great coal
strike IS not at an end by the close of this
week II will be a surprise to men who are
familiar with the progress of negotiations.