New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-09-21
P.&R. TOPAY MINERS MORE
E9YANCE or TEN PER CENT TO GO
INTO EFFECT AT ONCE.
WILL PROBABLY HAVE A FAR REACHING
INFLUENCE IN BRINGING STRIKE
TO A SPEEDY TERMINATION-NO
FIrRTEIER ADVANCE IN PRICE.

TO A SPEEDY TERMINATION-NO
FURTHER ADVANCE IN PRICE.
The Philadelphia and Reading Coal Company
yesterday decided to take step that will prob
ably do a great deal to bring the coal strike to
speedy termination That was the determination
of the company to raise the wages of its en-
ployes 10 per cent. 1t is understood from ad
vices received from Philadelphia last night that
the advance will begin immediately-from this
morning in fact. The effect of it upon the strike
situation will be far reaching, and. according to
operators who We're seen last night it will tend
to undermine the strength of the whole strike
movement.
Information received yesterday afternoon from
Philadelphia went to show that the company,
despite some small defectons. had at least
thirty-eight thousand men at work, and that
thirty-four out of it's thirtynine collieries were
being operated. 1t is believed now that when
the increase of wages is made known, all the
companys miners will return to work, and that
the five mines now closed will resume What
this will mean in the matter of coal supply is
apparent from the capacity of the mines owned
by the Philadelphia and Reading. Since 1896
the output of these mines has been restricted
because of an agreement entered into by the
operators whereby the output of anthracite was
divided after the manner of a railroad passen-
ger pool traffic, according to the following per
centages: Philadelphia and Reading 2050; Le-
high Valley 1856; Delaware, Lackawanna and
Western, 1885; Central Railroad of New-Jer-
sey. 11.7O; Pennsylvania, 11.40; Delaware and
Hudson. 9.6O, and 1880 divided among other
smaller producers.
GOT THE LARGEST PART OF THE OUTPUT
1t will be seen by these figures that the Phila-
delphia and Reading obtained by far the great
est proportion of the output, and with the re-
movaI Of the restriction which was imposed by
the agreement in question. it was admitted by
dealers in this city yesterday. the Reading com
pany could easily supply at least 30 per cent OF
the coal necessary for the requirements of this
and other Eastern cities. 1t is said by those
conyersant with the existing situation that the
Reading company will not hesitate to break the
agreement In point of fact. the opinion is eX-
pressed that operators whose mines are closed
down are willing that the arrangement for the
time being should be set aside. and are even
parties to the policy of wage increase which has
been decided upon.
The motive which induces this attitude, ac-
cording to report is that the operators who are
mostly involved in the strike, are imbued with
the idea that the Readings output. supple
mented as it will be by large quantities of coal
from other mines not yet shut down. Will serve
TO avert any really marked coal famine, and
that thereby the knowledge will be impressed
upon the strikers that the anticipated scarcity
OF fuel and consequent public suffering will fail
of realization.
In making the 10 per cent advance in wages,
the officials of the Reading company do not
take the ground that it is submission to the
demands of the workers The employees of
this company are paid on what is known as the
sliding scale or in other words il the selling
price of coal advances. the earnings of the
miners are increased accordingly. But, while 1t
ia the intention OF the companys officers to
announce to-day that the higher wages which
they propose to give to their men have been
made possible by greater price realized for coal,
It win be made clear to the miners that the 10
per cent additional wage will remain perma-