The suburban citizen., 1900-10-27
WASHINGTON, D. c., SATURDAY, OCTOBER p, 1900.
BOTH SIDES ARE FIRM.
Powder Controversy May Prevent
settlement of Strike.

Wilkes-Barre, Pa. (SpeciaD. D.-The
close of the fifth week of the mine
workers strike in the Wyoming re-
gion finds both sides as determined as
ever. The operators insist that the
price of powder shall be considered IN
the 10 per cent. advance offered by
them, while the strikers say they Will
not go back to work until the demands
of the Scranton convention are con-
ceded, which they assert, mean a nat
10 per cent. advance, the price OF pow
der to be arbtrated later.
Scranton, Pa. Especially The coal
companies in this region posted notices
relative to the action taken at the
Philadelphia conference OF individual
operators and the Philadelphia and
Reading Coal and Iron Company and
the Lehigh Valley Coal Company, and
with it an explanatory note upon the
powder reduction. showing how 1t
figures in the 10 per cent. wage IN
crease. National Organizer Dilcher
says this does not meet the demands
of the miners convention of a week
ago, and until it does there will be no
end Of the strike.
Hazleton, Pa. (SpeciaD President
Mitchell of the United Mineworkers,
practically admitted that if every oper-
ator in the region were to post notices
similar to those that are now being
tackled up by some of the mineowners,
this action would in itself probably
not end the strike. He was asked If
all the companies were to post such
notices, what his next step would be.
At first he resisted, and then replied:
Under the conditions laid down by
the Scranton miners convention, there
could be no partial resumption OF
work"
When it was suggested that his reply
did not answer the question he said:
We'll all l will say is that If all
the companies posted notices, it would
! clear up matters considerably. 1t
would remove some Of the obstacles
that now present themselves"
Notices similar to those already
! posted by individual operators In This
region were issued by some more COM
panies. The only large individual
operators in this region that have not
posted what is known as the second
notice are Cox Brothers & Co., G. B.
Markle & Co. and the Lehigh and
! Wilkes-Barre Coal Company. There is
much interest manifested here as to
! Wuhl steps, IL any, luc MhlhlG III III
will take. This firm is the only one
in this region which has not consented
to give its employees an increase of any
sort The members of the firm main
tain strict silence.
A committee OF four miners en-
ployed by the Lehigh Valley Coal Com
pany called upon f. d. Zerbey, district
superintendent of that company, for
the purpose of asking the superinten-
dent to explain to them how the COM
pany intends to figure the 10 per cent.
increase in connection with the re-
duction in the price of powder offered
by the company. Neither Mr.. Zerbey
nor the committee was inclined to say
what took place at the conference, but
it is understood the miners went away
apparently satisfied with Mr.. Zerbey's
explanation. He told them that the
company's notice in itself was a guar
antee that they will receive q net ad-
vance Of 10 per cent over the Sep
tember wages
President Mitchell said he knew the
committee had intended calling He
declined to discuss the conference.
This is believed to be the first COM
mittee Of employees that has called on
the officials of any of the companies
to discuss their grievances.