The evening times., 1900-10-11
THE STRIKERS POSITION
Growing Dissatisfaction With the
Coal Operators Offer.
Demands That Are Likely 10 BE
Framed by the Miners, Delegates
Organizations Are stffI Insisting
Upos: the Recognition of the Union.

SCRANTON, Pa, Oct. I1.-Interest in
the great strike of the anthracite miners
of Pennsylvania is now centred upon the
convention which President Mitchell has
called to assemble here tomorrow. In
his address last evening he said:
Il have refrained from saying any
thing on this advance of 10 per cent
am willing 30 say now, though, that il is
not satisfactory, The operators ought at
least to agree to maintain IL fer one
year; they ought to abolish the company
the sliding scale"
The cheers whiehsgreeted these re-
marks from the thousands who heard
them, were taken TO mean that his jour
neys through the coal regions since last
Saturday morning convinced him the mi
ners are not in favor OF accepting the
proposal as 1t stands.
Delegates 10 the convention are arriv-
ing today from all parts of the coal field.
The convention viii be attended by no less
than Loco delegates, from the estimates
made this morning. The convention viii
be controlled absolutely by the miners
themselves, President Mitchell again stat
ing positively that neither he nor any of
the national officers will hamper its ac-
tions. They Will. of course. be in attend
ance and viii advise on questions which
arise.
Instructions OF Delegates.
are under positive instructions from their
local unions 10 vote for the recognition Of
the Union of the United Mine Workers of
America by the coal operators; TO insist
upon the clean reduction of the price of
powder to $50 per keg without any fig
uring thereby in adjusting the wages of
the miner, and TO declare fer two-weeks'
pay.
1t is also certain that many CT them
cent increase OILY if an agreement is
made to keep it effective for q year.
There is today some conjecture reIa-
tive to the position of the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company, which op-rates mines
at Nanticoke, Shamokin, Shenandoah
and the Lykens Valley, on the wage in
crease Offer also as to that of the Penn
syIyania Coal Company (Erie and Wyo-
ming Valley Railroadl with mines at Dun
more. AVoca. and Pittston. and the On
tario and Western, with mines in the
Lackawanna Valley, on the proposal.
Neither has yet acted upon it Together
they employ 25,0O0 mine workers.
Tomorrow convention will open at 10
o'clock in Music ISali. and President
Mitchell will preside. 1t will. from pres
ent calculations. practically make t e
following demands whea it finishes its
session:
Demands Likely to Be blade.
l. Ten per cent straight advance and a
reduction il the price OF powder from s.. rs
to $3.50 per keg-
2. The establishment of q system of
check Weighing
8. An agreement that the arrangement
will be entered into for at least one year.
i. Payment every two weeks as the laws
of the State of Pennsylvania provide
s. The aboIishment Of the sliding scale
and company stores, wherever they may
exist.
g. An agreement TO settle minor griev-
ances, which may only affect a POI don of
the collieries, by arbitration.
SHAMOKIN, Pa, Oct. 11.-Seventy-
delegates headed by the executive board OF
district No. 8, United Mine Workers of
America, concentrated here this morning
from Schuylkill, Columbia and Northum
berland counties, after which they depart
ed for Scranton to be on hand tonight to
canvass delegates from the northern tier of
coal counties, relative to standing out firm
ly for recognition of the Union aSd the
acceptance of 10 per cent increase, provid-
ing the companies guarantee to maintain
the latter Tor one year.
The Ninth district men will not vote for
any measure unless they have assurance of
support for their propositions They are
pledged te cast their ballots for the abol-
ishment of the Reading Coal and Iron Com
panys sliding scale of wages, but so long
as they get the 10 per cent proposition and
recognition of the u'fion, they will be sat
isfied to withdraw OF her demands
Many feel that tie companies will not
treat with a committee to be named by
si.e0 to Harper's Ferry and VIM