The age-herald., 1900-10-18
Every Demand of the Strikers
 Was Granted
THE SLIDING SCALE ABOLISHED
Miners Will Probably Resume Work on Monday Next-President Mitch- ell Has Not Yet Officially Noti-
 fed His Men of Settlement

Philadelphia, October 1.-The great strike of the anthracite mine workers of Pennsylvania, which began September F, practically ended today when the Phila- delphia and Reading Coal and Iron Com pany and the Lehgh Valley Coal Company agreed to abolish the sliding scale in their respective regions and to grant an advance in wages of 10 per cent net, the advance to remain In operation until April 1, 1901, or thereafter. This action meets the de- mand of the Scranton Miners Convention. The decision was arrived at after a con Terrence between representatives of the in- dividual coal operators and the large coal carrying companies.
 Today's action was the continuation of the recent meeting of the individual opera tors at Scranton following the mine work CTS convention in the same city. Nearly all the collieries in the coal region had previous to the mine workers convenuon posted notices granting an advance of 10 per cent. The mine workers in considering this demanded that the sliding scale in the Lehigh and Schuylkill districts be abolish ed, the increase to be guaranteed until April 1, 1901 and all other differences be submitted to arbitration The individual operators agreed to everything and the ap- pointment of a committee to induce the Reading and Lehigh companies to abolish the sliding scale and make the wage in- crease permanent followed. It is conceded that the result of today's conference is a complete victory for the men. All the de- mands of their convention are acceded to and as one of the individual operators put of thn at0,.e little further in agreeing to maintain the advance in wages after April l. This same operator said:
 Now Up to the Miners
 ''Its all up to the miners now We have agreed to everything, and nothing remains now but for them to return to work as soon as notices are posted by the colliery man. agers. These notices will be practically similar to the Reading Companys notice, the phraseology only being changed look for resumption of opertions by Mon day at the latest"
 Just how soon the official order notifying the men that the strike is ended and to return to work will be issued by President Mitchell can only be conjectured. It Is believed here that no order to return will be issued until notice similar to or in line with that of the Reading and Lehigh Companys Is posted at all the mines. The Reading Company's notice reads:
 The Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company at once issued the following statement:
 Tt hereby withdraws the notice posted October IS, 1900, and 10 bring about practi- cal uniformity in the advance of wages in the several coal regions gives notice that 1t will suspend the operation of the sliding scale, will pay 10 per cent. advance on Sep tember wages till April 1, 1901, and there after until further notice; and will take up with its mine employees any grievance which they may have"
 The Lehigh Valley Company in whose region the sliding scale is also in operation, will issue a circular notice, as will also the individual operators who were represented at the meeting.
 This meets all the dema ands of the strikers and means the immediate ending of the strike.
 The conference was resumed this morn ing in the private office of President Harris of the Reading Railroad Company. The meeting was secret and those taking part declined to discuss anything in connection NltH tne Strlke InOSe present were:
 George F. Baer and John L. Welsh, d. rectors of the Reading Company and the reputed representatives of the Morgan in- terests In that company; President Harris and General Manager Henderson of the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company; John B. Garrett, vice president of the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company; Congressman William Connell of Scranton, an individual operator; Dr. Herbert M. Howe, representing A. Pardee & Co.,, and M Skimmerer of Mauch Chunk representing Skimmerer & Whitney.
 The conference began shortly after o'clock and was in session about fifteen minutes when MT. Garrett was called to the long dis tance telephone for talk with some one in New York He returned im- mediately to the conference room.
 The opinion was expressed by persons in touch with the situation that the main bone of contention between those participating in the conference was the freight charges eX- acted by the coal carrying companies. In considering the resolutions of the Mine Workers convention, 1t was said that an agreement upon the part of the coal carry- ing companies to reduce the freight charges Would clear the way considerably for an i early settlement of the strike A discussion of this rather than the resolution of the Mine Workers was what principally occu- pied the attention of the conference.
 The question of the abolition of the slid ing scale which is in operation in the schuylkill and Lehigh regions only, whose