New-York tribune., 1870-12-16


by thai OF tho breaker cru.her This Is ss .s anu
very orpens,ve piece a machinery. operated Wy men
and furnishing empOymont 70 great number "a ~" '
and boys Enough cod must be got from tho mines po
low 10 keep this machine running. The operstcv cannSt
increase or dimsa at WIZ the production to- OF ,s %nH
restricted within very narrow ms ny the power o. mS
when coal falls below living price, the operators bsyo
alternative but 10 reduce suspend work ca
& The o. nay G 1s
mis They study the market reports az closely as they
they prefer TO work only nine months out of twelve
rather than work twelve nonths for nine nrta y,
their Union TO inaugurato. a system Of general
suspensions throughout all the coal regions,
% paying @ point o' Although there is great dsp be said
against this policy there Is aso something 70 De prgsd
,s favor Il % be st n The ne @
difficulty ia not likely TO be renedied by maintaining
snS labor so W he tempted to embark in it, Surprising
the Grand Council Of the Miners Union to be completely
tain wages coai mining wouid then become an
employment which OF, red higher wages and
more DS ., sern cdn TSifss wSns S Ssy 0fc 3
greater potential Rnitudc tbsnsas ipresent The cas-
soon convince the miners that they were taking too much
Of the load their own shoulders; dhey wGud rave nave
would neither be able TO prevent the competition ion Of Ia
from having it, nat s ss ,fy
1S .dsSs sSSss;ps odnG sG9t they they
prevent fresh capital from enbarking in the business
Neither coa nor any other article VIII ohs Do eou1S
pay high wages. make large pronts anu az tno saine ,
Tess. ha po1ods Of general would be earning
nothing and that any advance when might py eue
SACRIFICES Occasoned in the price OF coal woud We 0t
jmmed,ately on their resuIning work, the conclusion
seems pretty clear that they would not suspend cAcept
~ Tho miners have not attempted believe, to limit the
number who follow their calling. They DO limit, now
ever, the number Of which make days WORK ~
way and allowed to employ two sborers lnsesn OF
All accounts agree that the miner does not usually per
form more than from three TO SIX hours OF steay d
comes up between and s. These restrictions however
dscouraging they may DO to skill ana industry, r sre
firmly established throughout this region as well In me
mines of the great companies In the Others They are
also open TO the objection that they increase ne cos O
producon-nd whatever increases the cost OF eoa IN
extent the cost OF almost everything tht
Il is stated above that the Miners Union. however
powerful il may become will find 1t impossible t0imain-
tain high wages and enable the operators 70 max aI
such condition OF things would be sure TO attract Iesn
labor and capital into the business. But how would
be should the great companies succeed In obtaining
monopoly OF ths whole northern coalfeld '-and they
are 1t at this moment Their agent Informed
Lackawanna and Western Company TO pay
better wages than the same labor would com com
policy OF every company, well OF every individual
engaged In business Is to make the largest prons m can
How otherwise could both these be done than by re-
strcting productiOnf Aud this monopoly or combina-
ton OF mOnOpOles might do At present the companies
are developing their business with amazing energy
mentioned In my last letter that breakers had been
erected and shafts sunk between here and Scranton
sufficient to add from 10000 TO 100000 tuns annually
present supply Some estimates place he amounts
higher This taken IN connection with the GapSey
Of tho existing mines to oyersupply the markets,
shows that the companies are looking 10 tne
future more than to present The d. L. and W. Com
psny since they acquired the Morris and Essex ROAD
have been engaged in making immense Improvements IN
that road sh0rtenng dstance improving grades, ana
providing in other ways to make 1t less 10
carry their coal TO New York. They also improving
their eesad road between here and Scranton laying an
additional track and putting down new iron. These
ti.s portend. for the Immediate future not or ai
tine, cheap coal.