The true northerner., 1900-10-19
NOTHING Done YET
Miners and 0perat RS Each Wait
ing for the Other.
NEITHER WILLING TO GIVE IN
Miners Say the Advance Must be a
Flat one and Operators Declare
They Will not Modify Their Former
Proposition to Their Employees.

Philadelphia, Oct l6.-Repeated un-
successful efforts were made yester-
day to obtain from the officials of the
Philadelphia az Reading Coal az Iren
Co. an expression of opinion on the
action of the mine workers conven-
tion at Scranton.
Ii is expected that officials of the
Reading Co will take up for consider
alton the proposition OF the mine
workers convention. 1t is known that
some of the directors of the company
are opposed to the sliding scale which
has for years been in operation at the
Reading collieries. The convention de.
manded that the 10 per cent increase
offered by the operators be made on a
set basis to continue until next April,
and that the sliding scale be abol.
ished
Must be a Flat Advance.
Scranton, Pa, Oct 16.-President
Mitchell and the others of the strike
leaders who remained over Sunday in
this city left for Hazelton this after.
noon.
Before his departure Mr.. Mitchell
expressed himself as highly pleased
and satisfied at the general courteous
treatment that he had met with during
his stay in Scranton.
Mr. Mitchell declined to discuss the
operators statement of their views of
the conventions outcome as conveyed
to the public in the interview with
President Il. III. Watkins of the Temple
Iron Co. but he permitted himself to
say that Mr.. Watkins was unfair in
declaring that the raids in the tower
districts were led by paid officers OF
the United Mine Workers.
oil eff a..
pute as to whether or not the resolu-
tions contemplate that the operators
offer must also be amended by strik.
ing off the codicil that the decrease in
the price of powder is to be computed
in figuring the advance in wages The
advance must be fiat one.' said Mr..
Mitchell. Where powder is being
sold for S2.75 a keg the excessive
charge will be one of the grievances
that the company will be called on TO
take up when the men are accorded
the conferences that their respective
employers agreed in posted notices to
give them on their return TO work"
AnxiousIy Awaiting a Reply.
Wilkesbarre, Pa, Oct 16-The strik-
ing miners OF the Wyoming valley are
anXiously awaiting to hear what an.
swer the operators will make TO the
demands Of the Scranton convention.
There is hopeful feeling among the
men that the concessions asked for
will be granted but nobody feels sure
OF an early settlement and there will
be no relief from the present anxiety
until some definite information is re.
ceived from coal magnates IN New
York
Will Make no Agreement.
One operator said tonight: This
offer is still open to the strikers il
they wish TO accept it. Ii is safe to
say, however, that the operators will
make no agreement with the miners
In the first place the operators have
lost faith in the men since they have
quite recently broken agreements
made with their employers. The op
orators can have no assurance that in
case an agreement was entered into
President Mitchell would not come
along some day and declare il off,
The Men are Firm.
At strike headquarters it was given
out that the men would not return to
work until they had been notified to
do so by the executive board of United
Mine Workers. IL the companies did
not meet the men half way and accept
the decision OF the strike convention
as final the strike would go on One
OF the officers of the United Mine
Workers said the strikers were in
good shape yet and could carry on the
battle for some time yet without en-.
failing much suffering to the men or
their families.