The Worthington advance., 1900-10-05
OFFER AN In CREASE.
Operators in the Anthracite Region
Present Terms.
Wlll Pay Miners m Advance of Ten
Per Cent. Over the Present
scale-Won'k RecoGnise
s<% : :Is& "a ~ the Union. [a:

orators will arbitrate any grievances
employees may present. There is no
to be attached as to- the
men returning to work before the ar
bitration shall begin, so it is to be in
ferred that the men are privileged to
meet in convention and adopt any
plan of action they may deem advis-
able before entering upon i arbitra-
tion. It is supposed the miners will
come together as members of the
union, fix the minimum of the conces-
sions they. will be content with, and
then go forth as individuals to treat
with their employers through COM
mittees of employees. The arbitrations
being concluded satisfactorily, If they
will be, the committees of employees
will report back to the convention of
United Mine Workers that they have
come to settlement, and the strike
will then be declared off. This would
avoid the recognition of the union by
the operators, and at the same time
permit the union to regulate the
terms of settlement.
FOSt9 OHef OF increase,
Philadelphia, Oct. IAN offer of
an increase of ten per cent. in miners
wages was on Sunday inaugurated by
the Philadelphia & Reading Coal &
Iron company, and this move, it is
stated, will be followed on Tuesday
by similar notices at every colliery in
the anthracite region. It is expected
by the operators that this increase in
wages will be satisfactory to the men,
and they believe many of the strikers
will take advantage of the offer and
return to work. Mining operations
will, in this event, be given an impetus
and the operators expect there will
then be a gradual resumption until
the collieries will again have their full
complement of employees. The Phila-
delphia & Reading company operates
80 collieries, and of these ~ have been
shut down, owing to insufficient work.
ing force. Whether the miners will
accept the proffer of the company and
return in sufficient numbers to op-
crate the mines cannot be foretold.
in the Schuyllill region, where the
Reading collieries are located, rather
indicate that the mine workers will
follow the instruction of their organ
ization officials and remain away from
the mines. President Mitchell, of the
United Mine Workers, received no no.
tice of the intention of the operators
to offer the increase in wages. and
the intimation is thus given that the
miners organization will receive no
recognition from the operators.
Miner. Warned.
Philadelphia, Oct. 1.-The following
notice, bearing date of October i, was
posted Sunday in the vicinity of all
the collieries of the Philadelphia &
Reading Coal and Iron company in
the anthracite region. It was signed
by superintendent Luther, of the Phil
adelphia & Reading company: .''
"This company will pay an advance of
ten per cent. on the wages Of all men and
boys employed at its collieries. This ad-
vance takes effect to-day"
Beneath this notice another was
posted which read as follows:
"Fellow Mine Workers.: United Mine
Workers Of America-Do not pay any at
tention to this notice posted by Mr.. luther,
of the Philadelphia & Reading Coal and
Iron company, but wait until you hear
from President Mitchell, Of the United
Mine Workers of America, or until you
have decided by your own locals what
Is right for you to do.
&C. B. POTTER"
Mr.. Potter is an officer in the dis
trict branch of the United Mine Work
ers of America. The regular Reading
company advance for the last half of
September and the first half of Oc-
tober had previously been fixed at
six per cent. above the $3.50 basis.
The scale for the preceding 80 days
was at the $3.50 basis. The advance
of ten per cent. offered in the posted
notice by the Reading company is
separate and distinct from the nat
ural scale increase, and hence the
total increase to the miners would be
16 per cent.
Mitchell Not Surprised.
Hazleton. Pa, Oct. 1.-The posting by
the Philadelphia & Reading Coal &
Iron company Of a notice granting an
increase of ten per cent. to, all the en-
ployes of it's 80 col.ieries in the Schuyl-
kill valley did not cause any apparent t
commotion at the headquarters of the
United Mine Workers here Sunday.
President Mitchell did not know of the
action of the Reading company unit!
informed Of it by reporter. He, did
not express the least surprise. He re-
fused to discuss the advance, but it is
understood that he knew the ten per
cent. increase would be made and was
anxious to see in what manner the in
formation would be conveyed to the
men, s@TheHaction of sthee Reading COM
pany in directly notifying its men
through posters indicates that the op-
orators will not recede from their po-
sition ofrefusal to recognize the union.
There is considerable talk that the
posting of the notices will cause a
break in the strikers ranks. tits pre-
dicted thatif this does happen it would
mean the end Of the strike in a very
short time. The labor leaders d gain re-
iterated that there. will be no break
and that the strikerssare under perfect
control. President Mitchell said he did
mot order the mine workers notice to
be placed along with sthat Of the Read.
ing company, but he thought it was
done .as-asresult of-his warning tothe
strikers last week to the effect that
they should not go back to work until
ordered to do so by the union officials.
II ~, ss Marquis. Ito Honsled. h.
Yokohama, Oct. 1.-The smikado has
summoned Marquis Ito to form a cab.
met, on the resignation of the Yama.
gaia ministry. When intrustinR the