Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 October 1900 — BLOCK A SETTLEMENT. [ARTICLE]

BLOCK A SETTLEMENT.

Independent Mine Operators. Sax Hall* road* Must First Yield. A committee of the independent anthracite mine operators on Tuesday visited the presidents of the coal roads and protested against being coerced into granting higher wages and other concessions to their men, which they declare means their undoing, unless the coal carrying railroads give them better rates. AU the coal roads Tuesday followed the example of the Reading and offered 10 per cent higher wages and powder at $1.70 a keg to their men, if they would return to work, but the independent operators would not follow their lead. President Mitchell said “The tie-up is practically complete, and there will be no resumption of work without there first being a committee appointed from every colliery in the coal fields.” At United Mine Workers’ headquarters this statement is given out: “What we want is: “1. A better enforcement of existing mine laws. “2. To obtain that which is fully our own, i. e., the value of labor actually performed and hitherto taken from us. “3. To obtain the right to purchase our implements of labor at a fair market value and escape from the compulsory rule which forces us to pay the operators more than twice what the same material can be purchased for at retail in the open market. “4. To allow a readjustment of the wage scale that Will nearly conform to the normal conditions of the anthracite trade and establish as nearly us practicable a uniform price for each class of work in and around the mines.” The strikers sny until these conces-] ■lons are granted and the union recognized they will not return to work. At Lattimer the miners adopted new tactics. When ordered to halt by the deputies they held their hands above their heads to show they were unarmed, and swept the guards aside. At Jeddo the miners were met by Sheriff Harvey, who gave each man a cigar, marched with, them through the mining villages, and then advised them to go home. This; they did. As a result of the demonstration, however, the Oneida colliery, employing 3,000 men, shut down. Although the labor leaders positively •aid they did niit fear a break in the ranks of the anthracite coal strikers, they were nevertheless pleased to learn that the 10 per cent advance granted by the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company in the Schuylkill valley was totally ignored by the striking mine workers. It was predicted that many of the strikers would return to work under the belief that the 10 per cent increase would be the limit of the operators’ concessions, but the unanimity of the men in deciding to stand, out for a further advance caused many remarks of surprise. The strike situation iu the Lehigh valley showed a change in favor of the men. Several hundred men quit work at the fialvin Pardee mines, and at Oneida and Cranberry the coal companies lost additional men. Organizer James informed President Mitchell that he anticipated a complete suspension of operations in the valley.