Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1900-10-12
Mitchell Tells Strikers They Must
Judge for Themselves.
THEY ALONE CAN END THE TROUBLE.
The Leaders VIII Not Call the Strike
OG-DeleEntcs to the Coming
Convention Must Assume
the Responsibilities.

the enthusiasm displayed by the men
throughout the anthracite strike re-
gion and went into the situa ton 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 time
and then the chief executive or the execu-
tive board declared the strike off without
consulting the wishes of the strikerss I
want to say, as have said before, that this
strike will never end until the miners,
through delegates in convention, end it 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; II you believe
ten per cent, to be enough; If you believe
that they will pay the ten per cent for a
year, then you must decide whether to re-
turn to work. On the other hand, If you re-
3ect the offer and continue on strike, John
Mitchell will be there to help you do it. !
do not expect that this one strike will Grad
icate all the wrongs from which you suf-
fer. I do not believe that the accumulation
of 40 years of injustice can be wiped out at
once, but 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. 1o:-Interviews
with prominent operators here elicit
ed 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
1t, just as 1t stands. They say it is
plain and complete and contains all
they can OF will ooncede. The ten per
cent. increase means that every mar Ia
the anthracite mines isssos have $1.1C
for the work fors1fnu6 lie formerly re-
: catxsd~asse dollar, the operators say.
The powder item is simply matter of
bookkeeping. Instead of giving the
miners ten per cent. increase fat, he
will have his credit side increased three
per cent. and from his debit side will
be subtracted seven per cent, OF what
ever percentage Of expense 1t is 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,
1t is explained, and to decrease its cost
Is to increase the wages. In this re-
gion q decrease of $1.25 in keg of
powder means seven per cent. de-
crease in the miners expenses. There
fore, when he has his expenses re-
duced seven per cent. he has his wages
Increased like amount. The other
three per cent. will be made up by in
creasing the allowance per car for cut
ting and loading. Where miner gets
one dollar car he will under the new
scale get $1.o5 1-3 cents a car. His
net earnings will be made the same
whether he gets the increase fiat 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 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 well 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 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 conyen-
ton insists upon definite understand
Ing with the mine owners, 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. close friend of Presi-
dent Mitchell says the convention will
have to come to that before there can
be final agreement. The coal com
panies will have to be represented, or
otherwise it will be impossible to ar
rive at an amicable agreement. 1t is
pointed out that no scale of wages
was ever fixed by convention. in the
soft coal region without the operators
being present. There are so many ques-
fions to come before the convention
that it will be impossible to make much
Roadway without knowing what the
operators propose to do.
More Grant the Advance.
Hazleton, Pa, Oct. 1o.-The A. 8,
Nanwickle estate, operating the
Coleraine and Milnesville collieries. and
Calvin Pardee G. Company, owners Of
the Lattimer mines, posted notices
Tuesday offering the ten per cent ad-
vance in wages to it's mine workers.
The notices are similar to those
posted by the other coal companies.
There are only about four other indi-
vidual operators in this region that
have not yet offered the increase,
among them being G. P. Markle &
Company.
these firms, however. are expected
to make the wage concession within
the next few days. If they do not
and the miners convention decides to
accept the ten per cent. advance Of
fered. the strike leaders say they will
be forced to fall into line.
OUTBREAK BY YOUTSEY.