The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1900-10-04
TERMS ARE OFFERED
Plan Presented by Operators to End
the Coal Strike.

!
liery in the anthracite region notice
win be posted Tuesday morning an
nouncing ten per cent. increase in
wages based on the present scale, eff
fective October /, and that the OPP
orators viii arbitrate any grievances
employees may present. There is no
condition to be attached as to the
men returning TO work before the ar
bitration shall begin, so ii is to be in
ferred that the men are privileged to
meet in convention and adopt any
plan OF action they may deem advis-
able before entering upon arbitra-
ton 1t is supposed the miners will
come together as members of the
union, fix the minimum Of the conces-
sions they viii be content with, and
then go forth as individuals to treat
with their employers through COM
mittees of employees. The arbitrations
being concluded satisfactorily, if they
will be, the committees of employees
will report back to the convention of
United Mine Workers that they have
come to a settlement, and the strike
will then be declared off. This would
avoid the recognition of the union by
the operators, and at the same time
permit the union to regulate the
| terms of settlement.
Posts offer of Increase.
Philadelphia, Oct. IAN offer of
an increase of ten per cent. in miners
wages was on Sunday inaugurated by
the Philadelphia & Reading Coal &
Iron company, and this move, it is
stated, will be followed on Tuesday
| by similar notices at every colliery in
| the anthracite region. 1t is expected
by the operators that this increase in
wages will be satisfactory to the men,
and they believe many of the strikers
will take advantage of the offer and
return to work. Mining operations
will, in this event, be given an impetus
and the operators expect there will
then be a gradual resumption until
the collieries win again have their full
complement of employees. The Phila-
delphia & Reading company operates
| 80 collieries, and of these 81 have been
! shut down, owing to insufficient work
| ing force Whether the miners will
accept the proffer of the company and
return in sufficient numbers to OPP
crate the mines cannot be foretold.
! Reports received from several points
| in the Schuylkil region. where the
| Reading collieries are located, rather
| indicate that the mine workers will
follow the instruction of their crgan-
ization officials and remain away from
the mines. President Mitchell, of the
United Mine Workers, received no mo-
tice of the intention of the operators
to offer the increase in wages. and
the intimation is thus given that the
miners organization win receive no
recognition from the operators.
Miners warned.
Philadelphia, Oct. 1.-THE following
notice, bearing date of October /, was
posted Sunday in the vicinity of all
the collieries of the Philadelphia &
Reading Coal and Iron company in
the anthracite region. 1t was signed
by Superintendent Luther, of the Phil
adelphia & Reading company:
This company will pay an advance of
ten per cent on the wages of all men and
boys employed al it's collieries. This ad-
vance takes effect to-day"
Beneath this notice another was
posted which read as follows:
Fellow Mine Workers: United Mine
Workers of America-Do not pay any at
tention to this notice posted by Mr.. luther,
OF the Philadelphia & Reading Coal and
Iron company, but wait until you hear
from President Mitchell, of the United
Mine Workers of America, or until you
have decided by your own locals what
is right for you to do.
&C. B. POTTER"
Mr.. Potter is an officer in the dis
trict branch of the United Mine Work
ers Of America. The regular Reading
company advance for the last half of
September and the first half of Oc-
tober had previously been fixed at
six per cent. above the $3.50 basis.
The scale for the preceding 30 days
was at the $3.50 basis. The advance
of ten per cent. offered in the posted
notice by the Reading company is
separate and distinct from the nat
ural scale increase, and hence the
total increase to the miners would be
Is per cent.
Mitchell Not Surprised.
Hazleton. Pa, Oct. The posting by
the Philadelphia & Reading Coal G.
Iron company Of notice granting an
increase of ten per cent. to all the en-
pIoyes Of its 80 col.ieries in the Schuyl-
kill valley did not cause any apparent
commotion at the headquarters of the
United Nine Workers here Sunday.
President Mitchell did not know of the
action of the Reading company until
informed Of il by reporter. He did
not express the least surprise. He re-
fused to discuss the advance, but it is
understood that he knew the ten per
cent. increase would be made and was
anxious TO see in what manner the i'm
formation would be conveyed to the
men. The action Of the Reading com
pany in directly notifying its men
through posters indicates that the OPP
orators viii not recede from their POI
sition Of refusal TO recognize the union
What President Mitchells frs: move
VIII be in view Of this new phase of the
situation Is not known. "The operators
are evidently not taking me into con-
sheraton" he said. but they viii
wish they had" Discussing the ques-
tion Of compromise, the national pres
ident said 1t would depend upon cir
eumstances whether eompromis'
would be considered. When asked II
the amount Of the increase would be
one Of the circumstances, he said it
would be consideration.