The evening times., 1900-10-02

SCRANTON, Pa, Oct 2--There is today
no early settlement of the strike in sight
The big companies, which are also the
carrying companies. and the Individual
operators differ over the formers pro-
posed basis of settlement, the latter de- |
cIaring that such settlement would be un- |
equal and place them at the mercy OF
the carriers. Moreover. the Delaware and
Hudson Company hesitates about joining
the other large companies, General Super
intendent Rose saying that no instructions
one way or the other have been given him
by President Olyphant, and the PennsylVa-
mia Coal Company. it is said, has not even
been asked to participate in the operators
deliberations. Vice President Thorne, OF
the latter company. when here last week
announced that if their connecting line
from Lackawanna to Kingston, n. Y, was
built giving them tidewater connection.
they would quickly end the strike so far
as the Pennsylvania Company and the in
dividuaI operators of the Lackawanna and
Wyoming Valleys were concerned.
The individual operators declare for
reduction on freight tolls for their pro-
duct. one of them saying this morning that
if the carrying companies will make an
allowance of 60 instead of 60 per cent OF
selling prices for their product, they Win
Join with the big concerns in e1eeting
strike settlement
committee of the smaller operators
has gone to New York 10 confer with the
presidents on this matter. They are in that
city now. It is announced that If they do
not get this concession they will declare
the present agreement annulled.
The notice which the big companies put
IN this morning to their miners alloWs
them a 10 per cent increase in wages and
states that other grievances Will be taken
I'D with their own employees, but behind
this is the intimation that the increase
will come out of the proposed cut in the
price OF powder.
There was some excitement around the
headquarters of district No. this morning
when the proposed terms Of the operators
were announced The general opinion was
that the proposals should not be considered.
Tb, struggle between the strikers and OPP
orators is evidently taking on new life in
this district, and with the smaller opera
tors at Ioggerheads with the large compa-
MES, the situation has become much COM
Dlicated.
Ex-Mayor OConnell, of this city, who is
Interested in mine operations here and near
Shamokin anG Shenandoah, today reiterat-
ed his opinion that the whole purpose OF
the big companies is the squeezing out of
business of the small operators. Another
individual operator said:
THE men in New York fix the cost of
coal and then fix the rate of carriage. Thus
the individual operator is at their mercy
It means absolute ruin for some of US un-
less both ends of the contract are consid-
cred and we are given a better rate for
coal
1T is an unheard of thing in this val
ley for the powers in New York to in
terfere Heretofore the mining superin-
tendents of the great companies have
been delegated full power of control in
all matters pertaining to anthracite pro-
ducing ,nJecests. The present situation
places these superintendent in most
unhappy position. Their contro! is mini
mized, and they cannot deal as they set
out to do with the strike problem. Meth
er they nor the individual operators have
been consulted in the slightest degree
by the New York parties who rule the
anthracite world.
If any of the individual operators are
hoping that the miners will refuse to ac
cept the offer they are liable to see
that hope realized. President T. D. Mich
oIs of District No. 1 of the United Mine
Workers, said he hardly thought the
offer would be satisfactory, as the
strikers are bent having a general
conference District Organizer Nicholas
Burke said: The notice won't be heed
ed
WIIKESBARRE, Pa, Oct. 2.-The no.
tees of the Lehigh Valley and the Lehigh
and Wflkesbarre coal companies Offering a
10 per cent increase in wages and re-
auction in the price of powder from STE
to $3.50 a keg were posted at the compa-
MES collferies this morning, but while
many miners strolled up to read them,
none returned to work or made any offer
to do so. They treat the notice with con-
tempt, and say it is absurd for the compa-
aies to expect them to give serious at
;eHtions to such a proposition At the
headquarters Frank Williamson one of the
general committee, was asked what he
thought of the offer.
"0ner?' said he curling his lip. TT is
30 offer at all. Were We to accept that
would be worse off than we were when
We came out We would be at the mercy
,f the docking boss the mine boss and The
1nderstrapper fire boss. who of recent
Fears has become the miners greatest enc
any. What we want is fair up-and- -dowr
business proposition, not something which
.ooks good Oh the surface but has a Inael-
,trom beneath ready to gu1p us down.
If that offer is the ultimatum of the
company, you can rest assured that tht
miners will have none of it, Only those
familiar with the mines can realize how
utterly foolish it would be for the min,
workers to accept the proposition
Many others view the matter in the
same light and say that they are muel
disappointed in the offer.
The town is filling up with the striker.
who will parade this afternoon and TIL,
Tickets for the Oyster Bali