New-York tribune., 1900-10-18
PRICE THREE CENTS.
VICTORY FOR STRIKERS.
THE COAL MINERS DEMANDS
GRANTED.
ACTION OF READING AND LEHIGH VAL
LEY COMPANIES INDICATES EARLY
RESUMPTION OF WORK.

Philadelphia Oct. 1.-THE great strike of the
anthracite coal miners OF Pennsylvania. which
| began on September Il. was practically ended
| to-day when the Philadelphia and Reading
| Coal and Iron Company and the Lehigb Valley
Coal Company agreed 70 abolish the sliding
scale and 20 grant an increase in wages Of IL
per cent net the advance TO remain in force until
April 1. 1901, or later. This action meets the
demands Of the Scranton miners convention.
The decision was reached after a conference be-
tween representatives OF the individual coal
operators and the large coal carrying companies.
which began yesterday.
To-days action was the elimination " The
recent meeting Of the individual operators al
Scranton following the mine workers conven-
tion in the same city. Nearly all the operators
In the coal region had before the convention
posted notices granting an advance Of 10 per
cent. The mine workers convention demanded
that the increase be guaranteed until April L.
1901 the sliding scale in the I,ehigh and SchuyI-
kill districts be abolished and all other differ
ences be adjusted by the operators with COM
mittees Of their own The individual op-
orators agreed to all these demands. and the
appointment of a committee to induce the Read
ing and Lehigh companies to abolish the sliding
scale and give the desired guarantee regarding
the wage increase followed.
1t is conceded that the result OF to-day's con-
ference is complete victory for the men. All
the demands of their convention are granted.
and as one of the individual operators said after
the conference. the operators go little fur
ther in agreeing to maintain the increase after
April /. This operator said in speaking of the
conference:
It's all up to the miners now. We have agreed
to everything, and nothing remains now but for
them TO return To work the notices
are posted by the colliery managers These no
he mi lar 10 he
company's notice. the phraseOlogy only being
changed ] look for resumption OF operations
by Monday at the latest The conference was
entirely harmonious. and every phase Of the
strike situation was gone over.
Just how soon the official order informing the
men that the strike is ended will be issued by
President Mitchell can only be conjectured tt
| is believed here that order TO return work
will be issued until notice similar to OF in
line with that of the Reading and Lehigh COM
panies is posted at all the mines.
The Reading company's statement IS as fol-
/ lows:
| 1t hereby withdraws the notice posted Octc-
/ bsr 8. 1900 and. to bring about practical uni
/ formity in the advance OF wages in the several
! coal regions. gives notice that it viii suspend
| the operation Of the sliding scale. viii pay 10
! per cent advance September wages till
April 1. 1901. and thereafter until further notice
/ and will take up with it's mine employees any
! grievances which they may have
| No formal announcement has yet been uads
by the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company regard
/ ing its intention. but after the Reading com
/ pany's statement had been made public Vice
President Garrett of the Leh'gh Valley said:
Concerning our operations in the SchuyIkfU
/ region you may say that the action of our com
| pany will be similar to that OF the Reading COM
| pany. In other districts. however, certain con-
ditions exist. for instance the price OF powder.
which must be treated separately. and We have
not decided definitely with regard 20 them
These matters now in The hands OF Superin-
tendent Lathrop. whose headquarters are ar
Wilkesbarre.
Superintendent Lathrop, who attended the
conference. prepared a number OF official notices
but refused to make them public
Calvin Pardee & Co. extensive individual
operators in the Hazleton region. late this after
noon announced that they will post notices A.
their operations tomorrow similar to that is
sued by the Reading company. This undoubted-
ly indicates what all the individual operators
will do
The conference to-day was held in the private
Office of President Harris of the Reading Rail
way Company Those present were George F.
Baer and John LOwber Welsh. directors of the
Reading company; President Harris and Gen
eraI Manager Henderson of the Philadelphia
and Reading Coal and Iron Company, and John
b. Garrett vice-president, and W A LathrOp.
general superintendent Of the Lehgh Valley
Coal Company; Congressman William COnneu. o.
Scranton an individual operator; DT Herbert NJ.
Howe re Presenting A Pardee & Co. and N. :
Kemmerei OF Mauch Chunk. representing Kem-
merer & Whitney.
The coal carrying companies having head
quarters in New-YOTk were represented by
President Truesdale of the Delaware Lacka-
wanna and Western and President Thomas Of
the Erie