New-York tribune., 1870-12-13
THE PENNSYLVANIA COAL QUESTION:

WITH TIE MINERS UNION-CAUsE OF THE
PRESENT sUsPENsION-A GENERAL sUsPEN-
SION PROBABLE.
WuKFs-BARRE Penn, Dec. 12.-lt IA NOT 10
be denied that In the Of the last three years the
haye been a great many strikes among the men en-
Moved ia the anthracite regions OF PennsyIVab etA'
has followed strike, and suspension has followed hu~
pension until the idea has gone abroad that tne inin
rather prefers 20 he loane strike than digging co'
away down in the bowels q the earth' Ieopo 'n'nA
that the rich operators and coal companies nave cae
fully cultivated this disposition, and at last have lmoued
the miner with such Gallo passion for reVouhonS thht
he can he depended upon at any time TO strike On "a
bours notice IL Ia supposed that the operators having
started strike frivolous question OF wages OF
basis" skully keep Il going untl they have sod OH
at monstrous price vast quantities OF coal Which they
have been quietly putting away for months In prepara
ton for this grand strike they then compromise win te
men on the point of start up their coeries ana
prepare 10 repeat the speculation by means OF another
suspension OF the first favorable opportunity thus IN
yadng aad punderine the public, on an average about
once in every ak months.
There is Just enough OF truth tds view Of the coal
question give II general currency among those VINO
have never visited the coal regions or II they have done
90 neglected 10 inform themselves the true state Of
affairs Coal miners have shown truly marvellous power
OF supporting themselves without work or wages Coai
companies and coal operators have provoked strikes ana
have thereby enormously inflated the price OF coal Coal
miners have cOnhplreu W o"nl''"
work for the avowed purpose OF creating scarcity In
the market But this Is not tho whole truth Of the mat
ter and those who this showing condemn with I'M.
sparing and undscTminang abuse each and every Que
concerned In the mining transporting and retailing OF
coal are very mrch in the wrong. This hope to make
clear by plain statement Of the facts which have OBJ
tanned In the course of several days passed IN nvesea
ting this subject among the niners ana operators the
selves.
The capitalists who have engaged their funds I'm The
rrodueon oi anthracite coal compelled to face some
OF the most complicated and difficult problems "hlch
ever perpexed the brain Of man They have TO contend
with Che most powerful and completely organized laDor
union that existed They have to meet relentless
competition on all sides. They have TO resist the greco
Transportation companies which occupy the same re-
ation toward Them and show them little mercy az An
Irish landlord does his tenant Lastly, they are III con
stanr danger Of being swallowed up at any moment by
enormous corporations, which have already maze vast
progress toward monopozing the supply Of an article
which % indispensable to human progress as food ana
| clothing are Ia human existence.
Your readers ali believe that labor ought 10 he wen
rewarded and the position Of the laborcr as being
possessing moral qualities, the faculty of reason and the
right TO vote ought TO be elevated at almost any Pecu
MARY sacrifice At the same time they want cheap coal
Shall the aborer consent to be dccked at one stroke 90
per cent Of hls wages that people may for little While
ct coal /; cheapcri Your readers 90 not wish TO see this
whole region in the hands OF three great companies,
owning all the coal lands controlling all the lines OF
transportation, aud practically monopozng the market
| 10y o federation among their managers. And Sctthey
want cheap coal Eow unless they prepared to shut
their eyes the future, 70 tho coal miner forced
back to lower plane in the social scale than he has now
reached and sacrifice all private capital now employed
in mining this Northern coal field, they ought to
| making for the existence OF their association.
am perfectly that this is not complete state
ment Of the questions at issue and %lsh II 10 pe inter
preted by the facts which shan hereaitrr state, ana
least afouainted with the business OF coal mining ~ il
has been conducted during the last four OF nv year,
in the hands of the Delaware aud Hudson Canal Com,
Company and the Pennsy yania Coal Company. These
companies all operate coal mines own immense tracts OF
lands and own or control their separate channels OF
communication with the Eastern, Northern, and Western
markets. Their policy of late years has been directed to
the accomplishment of two objects: 70 acquire al
the coal land and coal mines In thls region, ana
to cd ana destroy yneeSed S sIs mcny mSH
subsidiary tie design Of practically monopolzng
accusing them Of any other Interior designs II Is certain
tnat the great companies have always shown The most
their with this body they have subjected them
selves 10 heavy pecunary LOSES caused violent lcta
tons price Orcoal and inflicted great hard>hips on
their miners since Sept 1869. however re great com
PdHes nave Deeh paying apou ~ ler cen. nSIifi a.
coal producing counties. All at once, the other day
was given to the miners that on aud after Dec
their wages would be reduced fully 40 per ceut IL Is
stroke of the companies which has brought
about the present suspension O mining operations ia the
, | greater portion Of Luzeme County.
There several obvious reasons Tor so great fcduc
| ton: FIRST the companies have not made any money
on coal for several months, aud could not make any
II they to 70 AT the reduced wages Ihls
point shall consider az large III future eter second
IL probably supposed that suspension would COM
inion The former had already been expelled The
General Council and brotherhood Of the Union for re-
dcrcd by the Council in March, 10y which action much
ilfeeing has been eugendercd between this and the
lower regions. Third, the companies well prepared
for a suspension, having Oh the lst oi the month,
moderate figure, half million tllHs OF stored at
their various dcp0ts the ~cahcard and IN Northern
New-Nork, and the western cities, upon which they
would realize the inevitable advance which would follow
soppagc OF production. Fourth. In the event OF the
General Councils refusing to take their men back into
the Union and declining To order general suspension
the breach In the Union would Do complete, aud The
companies would either have their al the reduced
wages, compromise with theui, anl thus be enabled
Ia pursue their crushing competition with the outside
operators aud smaller companies.
Whether the result thuslar has been that Anticipated
by the companies, II II impossible 10 say The Hy
Park miners the men employed by the Delaware,
| lackaWanha, and Western Company are iraled-ait.r
discussing for three days whether they should offer
suspension by very large majority. They then asked
Miners Union, aud received with open arms. With
them also came the Pennsylvania Coal Companys men,
the Delaware aud Hudson Canal Company men, There
upon Ting oftho Executive Board ofIuzernc County
representing miners and labOres held, and the
Cun, ~ the Miner. and Iab"rer,' Rcmeyolrnt Assor
alton, purpose ordering general suspension
throughout the anthracite regions. II is believed here
both by the operators aud the leading officers Of the
Union IN thus yciny, that the counc wll br called next
week aud the general suspension be ordered for the 1T
~ January.
There h something wonderful In the frrc-nasOnry
which binds together These ny iads oi coal miners, and
H. ndre the General Council resolves upon the su-prn
zion h vii drmon,trntc that they possess 4, u of or
ganzation that II truly marvellous II the su-cnsion -
ordered, sou may be- that every member ~ the
brotherhood will 10 tho surface Of the Garth and
that cscry breakrf will he stHppcd until the General
] Council s'cs ~ To- allow production to he resumed.
]
TUE ANNLXATION OF wISTCHESTEg.
| The residents Of the lower towns of West