Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1900-10-12
THEY ALONE CAN END The TROUBLE.
The Leaders VIII Not Cal the Strike
On-DeIesates to the Coming
Convention Must u
the Responsibility.

-
dress the assemblage. He spoke of
the enthusiasm displayed by the men
throughout the anthracite strike re-
gion and went into the situation as
it now stands. In referring to the
prospective ending of the strike, he
said:
every other strike that has taken place
in the anthracite region has been declared
off by your officers. Heretofore when men
went on strike they remained out for a time
n then the chief executive or the execu-
tive board declared the strike off without
consulting the wishes of the strikers. I
want to say, as I have said before, that this
strike will. never end until the miners,
through delegates in convention, end 1T for
themselves. We have called a convention,
and you men are invited to send delegates
there. You are invited to pass judgment on
the operators proposition. If you believe
that they act in good faith; If you believe
ten per cent. to be enough; If you believe
that they will pay the ten per cent. for q
ear, then you must decide whether to re-
turn to work. On the other hand, if you re-
ject the offer and continue on strike; John
Mitchell will be there to help you do 1t. I
do not expect that this one strike will Grad
icate all the wrongs from which you suf-
fer. 1 do not believe that the accumulation
Of 40 years of injustice can be wiped out at
once, but I do believe that you have estab-
lished an organization here that with each
succeeding year will give you improved con-
ditions of employment"
No Further Concessions.
Scranton, Pa, Oct. 10.-Interviews
with prominent operators here elicit
ed a uniform declaration that no fur
Their concessions or notifications of
the present offer will be made, and
that the miners must take it or leave
it, just as it stands. They. say it is
plain and complete and contains all
cent. increase mean that every man in
the anthracite mines is to have $1.1O
for the work for which he formerly re-
ceived one dollar, the operators say.
The powder item is simply a matter of
bookkeeping. Instead of giving the
miners ten per cent. increase fiat, he
will have his credit side increased three
per cent. and from his debit side will
be s%ubtracted seven per cent, or what
ever percentage of expense it lis found
the difference in the cost of his powder
amounts to. The purpose is simply to
put an end to the bowling about pow
der being sold at exorbitant prices.
Powder is the basis of the wage scale,
it is explained, and to decrease it's cost
is to increase the wages. In this re-
gion a decrease of $1.25 in a key of
powder means a seven per cent. de-
crease in the miners expenses. There
fore, when he has his expenses req
:duced seven per cent. he has his wages
increased a like amount. The other
three per cent: will be made up by in
treasing the allowance per car for cut
ting and loading. Where a miner gets
n dollar a a he will under the new
scale get $1.O3 1-3 cents a car. His
net earnings will be made the same
whether he gets the increase, flat or by
figuring on the decrease on powder.
May Not BE Settled.
Wilkesbarre, Pa, Oct. 1O.-The lead
ers Of the United Mine Workers of this
part of the anthracite coal field do
not speak as hopefully of a settlement
of the strike by the Scranton conven-
ton as they did Monday. Some of
those interviewed are afraid that the
offer of ten per cent. increase in wages
made by the companies may not last
long, and that after the men are back
at work for awhile and the market
is pretty we'll supplied, the operators
may reduce wages to the old figures.
tits only fair to say, however, that not
all the mine workers are of this opinion.
There is a strong sentiment prevail
ing that the companies are sincere
and that the increase in wages will be
permanent.
In making the advance in wages the
operators did not act in concert, but
as individuals. So that if the conven.
tion insists upon a definite understand.
ing with the mine owners, a week may
elapse before the views of the opera.
tors can be had. 1t is more than prob,
able that the rules governing the con.
ferences between the bituminous op
orators and their men will govern the
Scranton men. A close friend of Presi
dent Mitchell says the convention will
have to come to that before there cal
be a final agreement. The coal com
panies will, have to be represented, o.
otherwise it will be impossible to ar
rive at an amicable agreement. 1t i
pointed out; that no scale of wage
was ever fixed by a convention in tn,
soft coal region without the operator
being present. There are so many ques
tions to come before the c%onventio,
that it will be impossible to make nue.
Roadway without knowing what til
operators propose to do.
More Grant the Advance.
Hazleton, Pa, Oct. 10.-The A. I
Vanwickle estate, operating tn
Goleraine and Milnesville collieries, an
Calvin Pardee & Company, {
the Lattimer mines, posted notice
Tuesday offering the ten per cent. a,
vance in wages to its mine worker
The notices are similar to tho.
posted by the other coal companie
There are only about four other ind
vidual operators in this region til,
have not yet offered the increas
among them being G. P. Markle
Company.
ahese firms, however. are expect'