New-York tribune., 1900-10-19
A HITCH OVER POWDER.
SETTLEMENT OF THE COAL STRIKE
NAY BE DELAYED.
COMPLICATION CAUSED BY ACTION OF
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES MINERS con
vENTIoN MAY BE NECESSARY.

Scranton. Penn. Oct. 1s-Representatives of
nearly all the big coal companies Of the region
held conference here to-day and agreed to
amend The notices already posted by attaching
the following:
In further explanation Of the above notice, this
company desires 10 say that it is Its intention
90 pay the advance in wages above noted until
April l. 1901, and thereafter until further notice
The following statement was also Issued
The representatives of the larger coal com
p&nies, after their meeting this afternoon. stated
IN reply TO inquiries that they had offered their
men 10 per cent advance as indicated by the
notices they had posted; that this notice spe-
ci1cally stated that the reduction of powder
from 81 % TO 81 30 would be considered in ar
irving at the wages of their contract miners. 1t
was expected when the notices We're posted that
The offer was TO stand until April /, and indeh-
nitely thereafter but Inasmuch as there seems
to be some misunderstanding In this matter
they have agreed to add 20 their notice clause
70 the effect that 1t is their intention to pay the
advance in wages until April ], 1901, and there
after until further notice
The conference was held IN the office Of the
Temple Iron Company. in the Board of Trade
Building, and was attended by General Superin
tendent E f. Loomis, Of the Delaware. Lacka-
wanna and Western: General superintendent
". A Lathrop. OF the Lehigh Valley; General
Superintendent II. H STAIRS. of the Scranton
Coal Company (Ontario and Westerly; Presi-
dent William ConneI of the Conneu Coal Com
pany who IS chairman of the independent oper-
ators committee; General Manager W. A May,
of the Hillside Coal and Iron Company (Erie);
General Superintendent w J. Richards, of the
,Lfhigh and Wilkesbarre Coal Company; Cen
teTsl Superintendent Morris Williams, Of the
Suequehanna Coal Company pennsylvania
Railroad: General Superintendent Sydney
Williams Of the Pennsylvania Coal Company
CErie and wyoming; General superintendent
J l. Crawford, of the Temple Iron Company;
General Superintendent Reese G. Brooks. Of the
Langclfe. Latin and Greenwood Coal COM
panes
THE POINTS OF DISAGREEMENT.
President Mitchell District President T. D.
Nichols, District Secretary Dempsey and Ma
tional Organizer Dilcher, Of the United Mine
Workers, have all been quoted as saying that
the resolutions of the Scranton convention con-
femplsted a straight advance of 10 per cent for
all parts Of the region, and that the question of
having this increase made up in part of a de-
crease in the cost Of powder in these upper re-
gions, where it is sold for 81 - keg, was not
ITO be agreed to. The powder question, they one
and all said, left out of the present nego-
tiations with the understanding that il should
form one Of the grievances TO be adjusted in the
conferences which the offer says the operators
agree 10 have with their men to take up any
grievances they may have"
President Mitchell. when informed by tele-
phone Of the action Of the operators said he
would have 20 decline TO discuss It's probable
effect in retarding a settlement until he had
given the matter careful consideration. He
would not say whether not it would be pos
sibie deal with the difficulty without calling
another convention.
President Nichols, whose whole district is af-
feeted by the powder question. said this even
ing that It looked to him s if another conven-
ton would be necessary. Il do not know that
The delegates will consent to waving their de-
rnand for straight increase and allowing the
substitution Of this clause about powder which
the operators are so nsistent about" he added.
But without their consent 1 do not see how
the matter be adjusted. To me il looks
like prolongaton Of the fight"
The Gibbons Coal Company's drift which sup
plies fuel for the city schools, started up this
morning, fun handed with the approval Of the
United Mine Workers. II IS understood that
The company shall mine only sufficient coal to
sill its contract with the school district The
men 70 receive the straight 10 per cent ad-
vance Fifty hands employed.