New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-10-11
MITCHELL WANTS MORE.
STRIKERS NAY REJECT COAL
OPERATORS OFFER.
TOLD BY THEIR LEADER THAT TEN PER
CENT INCREASE IS NOT ENOUGH
PARADE AND MASS MEET
ING IN SCRANTON.
ING IN SCRANTON.
lpr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE


Scranton. Penn. Oct 1O.-President NIitchens
statement Of his attitude on the coal operators
offer Of 10 per cent advance in wages at the
miners mass meeting here this afternoon may
be considered as an indication Of the action to
be taken by the strikers in the convention.
Until to-day the miners were undecided whether
70 accept or reject il, but their presidents re-
marks may influence them 10 refuse the ad-
vance The addresses Of the other speakers
manifested the same sentiment, and all admon-
ished the men TO prepare for a longer siege.
President Mitchell said
have refrained from saying anything this
advance Of 10 per cent ! am wiling 10 say
now. though, that il is not satisfactory The
operators. ought ct least 10 agree 10 continue
such offer for one year, they ought to abolish
the company store pay every two weeks and
abolish the sliding scale.
THOUSANDS OF STRIKERS PARADE.
Thousands Of striking miners marched through
Tie crowded streets Of this city to-day and
showed their loyalty 70 President Mitchell, Of
the United Mine Workers who came here to
take part in the parade ard address the men
II the mass meeting. The National presidents
welcome was an exceedingly fattering one. L
was the greatest labor demonstration that has
ever taken place in the Lackawanna Valley.
Thousands Of miners and their families came TO
the city from all the towns within a radius Of
twenty miles The houses were decorated with
the National colors and most Of the business
places were closed.
The demonstration began with the arrival Of
President Mitchell from Shamokin shortly be-
fore o'clock. lie was met at the station by
e local reception committee and crowd Of sew
eral thousand persons. Owing 10 Mr.. MitcheITs
late arrival, the parade did not start until 2:30
o'clock The strike leader, with James Moir the
g ~ r5oo @bA
head Of the line. Then came solid column OF
Vorkingmen so long that IL took hour and
fifteen minutes TO pass given point AS in
The other big parades Of the last ten days many
Of the boys employed in the breakers preparing
coal for the market were in line. Many banners
we're carried by the men bearing inscriptions
setting forth their grievances. The parade was
dismissed al the circus grounds on the outskirts
Of the city. where the big mass meeting was
held
NnTCHELL's WORDS CHEERED.
T was estimated that more than ten thousand
persons were gathered around the speakers
stand when Frederick Dicher, Of Ohio mem
her Of the Executive Board Of the United Nine
Workers who acted as presiding officer. intro
duced the National president Of the Mine Work
ers' Union. When Mr.. Mitchell in his speech
told the miners that the proposition Of the
enough the spontRneity Of the cheering was sur
pr1sing and almost startling. He followed this
I'D by declaring that the mine owners ought to
abolish the company stores and the sliding scale
and that they should pay the men their wages
serni-monthly the Pennsylvania laws direct
With the mention Of each grievance there came
an outburst of applause from the men
Mr. Mitchell denied the charges that the strike
started IN the interest OF politicians, and
said bitumtnous interests had nothing to do
With the present contest He declared that If
any soft coal was shipped into the anthracite
market as q substitute II was coming from the
aon-union -5tturainous fields Of West Virginia.
He gave the union men now on strike in the
anthracite field great credit for suspending work
along with the union mine workers. He said
there were only eight thousand union men IN the
anthracite region when the strike began, but
11Z0o0 men have obeyed the order to strike.
The other speakers were Mayor Moir, who vel
coined M Mitchell 10 the metropolis Of the an
thrsc ite coal region; George Purcell. Of Indiana
and ". 3. Farley, OF Alabama, members OF
the National Executive Board; Presidents T. D.
Nichols OF District No. !, and John Fahey. Of
District No. g; District Secretary John Dernp-
sey, Of Scranton. and Paul Pulaski. Of Mount
CsyuaeI