The Portland daily press., 1900-10-19
The Decision Of the Operators At
Yesterdays Meeting
Has Complicated Affairs
Somewhat.
Coal Companies Are Slow In
Posting Notices.

Hazleton. Pa, October 1s.-As far as
ending the coal miners strike is con-
cerned, not a move In that direction was
made by the United Mine Workers ofic-
ials today.
The feeling is prevalent here tonight
that the decision Of the operators meet
ing at Scranton today to insist that the
reduction in the price of powder must be
taken into consideration in determining
the net 10 per cent increase in waves,
has complicated matters somewhat. Fur
ther delay in reaching an amicable ad-
justment of the trouble is now feared.
The situation otherwise Is precisely the
same as that which obtained when the
first notice of the coal companies were
posted on October 8. Up to tonight four
companies in the Hazleton region have
posted notices accepting the Scranton
convention demands.
A meeting of union mine workers was
held here today and arrangements were
made tor holding labor demonstration
in this city next Monday. The feature
of the demonstration Will be parade
followed by mass meeting at which
President Mitchell will be the princi-
pal speaker.
A. S. Van WyckIe estate, operating the
Colerain colIiery, and the Evans colliery
at Beaver Meadow, posted notices today
similar to the Pardee notices. A crowd
of strikers today made a descent on the
Crawford and Dugans stripping at
Coleraine and forced so men at work
there to quit.
Scranton, r., October 1s.-No no
tices have been as yet posted at any of
the mines In the Lackawanna region,
according to the demands of the strik-
ers as made in the Scranton convention.
There is no conferences of the individual
operators here today, but some OF the
mining superintendents have gone to
WiIkesbarre to attend a meeting OF super
intendents.
CONFERENCE OF COAL COMP ANIES
Scranton, Pa, Octobsr IS -Rspresen-
tatives Of nearly all the big coal compa-
MES of the region conferred here today
ana made an agreement to amend the
notices already posted by attaching the
following:
I'm further explanation of the above
notice, this company desires to say that
it is Its Intention to pay the advance in
wages above noted until April l, 1901,
and thereafter until further notice. i
The following statement was issued to
the press:
''The representatives OF the larger coal
companies after their meeting this after
noon, stated in reply to inquiries, that
they had offered their men ten per cent
advance as indicated by the notices they
had posted, that this notice specifically
stated that the reduction Of power from
s.. 70 to $1.75 would be considered in ar
irving at the wages of their contract
miners. 1t was expected that when the
notices were posted that the offer was
to stand until April 1, and Indefinitely
thereafter, but inasmuch as there seems |
to be some misunderstanding in this
matter they have agreed to add to their
notice clause to the effect that it is
their intention to pay the advance in
wages until April 1. 1901, and therear-
ter until further notice. National Presi- |
dent Mitchell, District President L. M. |
Nichols, DISTRICT Secretary John L.
Dempsey and National Organizer Fred
Dilcher of the UniJed Mine Workers, have
all been quoted as saying that the. .reso-
lutions of the Scranton convention con-
templated a straight advance Of 10 per
cent, and that the matter of having this
increase made up in part Of a decrease
in the cost Of powder, was not to be
agreed to.
The powder question, they said, was
left out of the present negotiations with
the understanding that it should form
one of the grievances to be adjusted in
the conference which the operators agree
to have with their men to take up any
grievances they may have"
President Mitchell stated that he would
have to decline to discuss it's probable
effect IN regarding settlement until he
had given the matter careful considera-
tion. He would not say whether OF not
1t would be possible to deal with the
difficulty without calling another CON
vention.
President Nichols, whose whole district
is affected by the powder question. said
this evening that it looked to him as Il
another convention was necessary.