The Portland daily press., 1900-09-18
WOULDN'T ARBITRATE.
President Mitchell Declares All Must
Stand Together.

Stand Together.
Hazleton, September 17,-Hazleton to-
day presented an animated appearance.
Strikers from all the surrounding min
ing towns came here early in the day
and gathered In groups on the street
corners and discus sed the situation. 1t
was a most orderly crowd. President
Mitchell, who arrived from the west last
night, was kept busy all day and eve
ming rec Ewing reports from every Sec
tion of the state. He declined to accept
the proposition of G. B. Markle & Co.,
to have the strike in their colliery ar
bitrated.
1t win be remembered that last week
the miners employed by q. B. MarkIe &
Co., decided not to strike until the firm
had passed upon a set of their own griev.
ances which differ somewhat from those
of the United Mine Workers. The firm
has an agreement with it's men that If
any differences fail of adjustment
then the grievances shall be arbitrated.
John Markle, of the firm, yesterday
agreed to have Archbishop Ryan of
Philadelphia, arbitrate the differences II
the mediators already decided upon by
the firm and the men cannot come to a
satisfactory agreement. Mr. Markle gave
out an interview to newspaper reporters
to this effect, and suggested to the repor-
ters that they go see what President
Mitchell would have to say to the propo-
sition, Mr.. MarkIe not caring to be put
on record as recognizing the Union.
This was done and after due deliberation,
Mr. Mitchell replied:
II regard this as rather unusual way
of conveying the wishes of Mr. MarkIe,
but wish to say that we intended to
ask the men employed by MarkIe to
cease work. This strike is probably
different from any other strike in the
anthracite region before. Ii the miners
employed by one big company in the
anthracite region fail, they all fail They
may prove successful in some companies
for brief time, but the rate of wage
in the entire anthracite region Will
get a certain level If we succeed at
one place and fail at another the low
wages must be brought up to meet the
high or the highest must come down to
meet the low, so that I am not now and
do not propose to, officially, accept or
reject for our Organization any PROPOSE
tion for a settlement that Is not made
either by the company or by soma 9TH
er person whom they will give authority
to act as their representative.
President Mitchell tonight gave out
the fOIIOxVinU Sf,atement.
Information received up to this time,
indicates that 112, 900 mine workers are
on strike in the anthracite region. OF
this number u, 800 are in district No. 1;
1000 in district No. 9, and 200 in dis
trict No. z.
Reports received are to the effect
that large numbers of those1 who went
to the mines today win join the suspen-
sion tomorrow.
q we feel confident that the entire num-
Der of men employed in and about the
coal mines of the anthracite district will
be idle in the next few days.
a HThe men appear determined to con-
tinue on strike until their demands for
justice have been acceeded to.
'The number of men now on strike ex-
ceeds that of any other industrial con-
test in the history of our country.
(Signed) "John Mitchell,
president of United Miners.''