Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-10-18
HOLDING THEM IN LINE.
President Mitchell Gives Notice of
How the Strike Will be Declared

How the Strike Will be Declared
on.
HAZLETON, Pa, October 1.-THE
news from Philadelphia that the Phila-
| delphia & Reading Coal & Iron Com
pany, after a conference with officials
| of other mining companies, had agreed
| 10 the anthracite miners proposition
as set forth in resolution adopted in
convention last Saturday, brought forth
many expressions of surprise that it
| should come so soon after the conven-
| ton.
| President Mitchell of the United Mine
| Workers Union, informed of the Read
| ing company's action by a member of
the Associated Press, was pressed for
a statement on this acceptance of the
miners proposition. All he would ven
ture to say, however, was that he would
be glad indeed to know that the anthra-
| cite operators had decided to change
| the notices previously pasted so as to
| comply with the provisions of the reso-
lutions adopted at the Scranton conven-
| ton.
Mr.. Mitchell declined to say whether
| the union would let the men return TO
work at those collieries where the
| operators had accepted the miners prop
| osition before all the companies had
fallen into line. 1t is generally believed
| that the big coal carrying railroads
| that mine coal will quickly follow
| the Reading company and grant ac
| ceptances of the proposition and that
| all other operators will 90 the same.
| The first company in the Hazleton
| region to take action similar to that of
| the Reading company, were Calvin Par
| dee & Co., operating the Lattimer coll
| lieries, and the A. Pardee & Co.. owners
of the Cranberry mines, both of them
| individual concerns. The notices an
nouncing their acceptance. which viii
be posted tomorrow morning, are as
| follows:
| Eve hereby withdraw our offer of
| October 6 and make the following an
nouncement to our mine employees:
| ''The sliding scale under which we
have been working is hereby suspend
ed, and we will adjust the rate of
wages so as to pay to our mine en-
| ployes from October /, 1900, to April
l, 1901, and thereafter and until further
notice, a net increase of ten per cent.
L.
1900"
These companies will reduce the
price of powder from $2.75 to $3.50,
which reduction is to be considered in
arriving at net increase in wages.
The news from Philadelphia spread
through the entire region with almost
lightning rapidity. Everywhere salts
faction was expressed by the striking
miners and others. 1t is confidently
believed that the strike will be Off
cially declared off this week, and that
all the men will have a chance to re-
turn to work by Monday.
rumor that the strike had been
officially declared off spread almost as
quickly through the coal fields as did
the Philadelphia news, and many tele-
graph and telephone messages were re-
ceived at national headquarters asking
If the runor was true.
President Mitchell informed all In
quirers that the strike would be de-
clared off by no one but the United
Mine Workers officials, and added that
no mine workers should return to the
mines until notice to that effect Is
issued from labor headquarters.
President Mitchell will be informed
of the concessions made by the COM
panies only through the medium of the
notices, posted by the operators at their
collieries. 1t is not expected that he
will receive any communication from
the operators, as such action would be
a recognition OF the union.
All local branches OF the United Mine
Workers have committees, whose duty
1t is TO report developments to the local
presidents. They In turn report to the
district presidents, who carry the news
to National President Mitchell. This
will be the method OF procedure In the
present instance.