The New York herald., 1871-02-24

/ Dub hdu 10 see them perish Dtlolc tuch
| eyes, while their fathers begged Tor
work OF any kind 10 help them, but not at
mining or working at the mlnes, because their iead.
ers FORBID them 10 work there without tnelf oruers
De idos the terrible slaughter IN the mines by rsf-
ing reckessy IN TO procure food for their families
hundreds have persisted this winter, az with The NJ
tle work iney had last year they could not pay me
dues exacied by the leaders ana make any prepa'i-
ton Tor winter,n
| Now that the funds OF the workngmcns Beneyo-
| lent Association are becoming exhausted, the
| families starving aud many dying OF want. the rail
roads have combined and raised the price Of freight
80 hgh that no coal wil be shipped from the anthra
cite region rms stops all mining Tor the present,
ana, as We nave said before, VIII compel the SIT KING
miners TO 90 TO work at such prices as the
wAers can afford to pay, or slarve As the
hausted by paying for support and paying
leaders, they cannot be supported In ille-
ness ana snort time must completely break up the
unstrupulous organization. II This be accomplished
the inconvenience may he tolerated for u tine 1t
Is time some measures were taken To release the
csal consumers oil the State from such subiecnon 60
the Whlins OF moo and we commend the railroad
companies tor Their action IN attempting 10 sarve
Inc Worklngmens Benevolent Association into dis
| cord and dissolution
There seems 10 be little doubt but thai the power.
ful organizaton originally framed ior the protection
1 or miners nits become victim dishonest leaders,
! who have not only had their living from their le.
| lows but have plundcred treasury aud lett hun
drcds OF the poor members TO starve. clause III
Their constitution gags every member and prevents
| ms utterlng Or saying anything against the man
| asement under heavy penalties. Tney have Il
| paper supported by the funds OF the society, but
measures relating TO their general welfare, uncss IL
! passes the ordeal OF the censors, who are leaders,
and has their seal 1pon it, Under such circum-
stances tue thieyiDg leaders have things ali their
own way. ana Lave become lnoerabie tyfants the
way they rule anu rum the miners IS illustrated ~
| the following case, which occurred la SchuykI
county, and IL communicated to the Miners Jour
nd1 IS not time the Legislature moved 10 libe-
rate the oppressed and plundered miners, and
tne people VINO suner III consequence o. me tsranni
| cal inOby
We will give one that recently occurred IN The Ma
hanoY regi0n:-on Tue 18TH IN operator there, who
| wished TO give employment TO some OF his men, VINO
| had large iamies and who were most destitute,
| Thought he would start with mat oolect IN view.
| He told his bsss to pick out six men who needle.
| 1t most and set them 10 work. All the men, OF
! course were members OF the Workngmens Denevu-
| lent Association. one OF them. who was III arrears
OF dues, paid five dollars, and SAID that ne
| could make some money by working he would pay
up the wnoe oil his dues. But this did moi suit The
leaders. Notice was given by the division that he
] should not work until the dues were paid and dining
every man five dollars who worked with nim untl
the dues We're paid. The consequence was tDaJ none
OF the men could 60 to work, though tnelr families
Were suffering Tor the necessarie5 OF liic tney
! were willing 10 work.
from the Philadelphia Ledger, Feb. 2o1
| The anthracite coal business coltlnues very
| settled: Notwithstanding the representatives OF the
! Miners Association passed, nearly unanimously q
resolution res aa'hoIlzing the resumption Of work az
with limited response ana unimporJant results.
| lew mines have started, but there has been
! no general resumpnen nor Is there likely
| to be the miners proposition OF hast
| years basis Of three d0iars per ton,
! on any terms conditions that, as alleged
Dy the operators, gives the OF the trade the
minority OF miners and working men. Anthracite
coal is pretty much Included In three reglons-the
Scnuylklll, the Lenlgh and the LacAaw anua--the
production oil any two OF which is equai to the
ket demand at present high prices OF COAL and II all
three are continuously worked through the entire
year there Is over productlon ana necessarily de-
cline IN prices OF coal TO consumers, ana also de-
cline OF wages 10 the workmen. The trade. as we
nave said, Is confined to three regions ana three
immediate interests in each OF those several
resionsthe miners, the operators, and the carrying
companies. Heretofore, and up to the present time
the supply OF coal has been wholly regulated by u
minority OF tho miners through Well organized COM
bnauons, by which the supply has been lessened or
increased ut pleasure, regardless OF either or the
osher smo a ~; or 90 nat ~ h aeaest ,ne
niSiieu Dy the operators ana by the carrying Coin
panies, those two Interests are now about TO conf
| blne, as We INFER from the movements making,
reclaim the control OF that capital and voice in
| the direction OF the trade
Nothing definite as 10 all the details OF effectng
this result has yet been arrived at but there Is
| doubt thorough and cordial understanding be-
tween operators carriers meet now the issue
involved, and at whatever cost and to this end tney
claim To have the sympathy and aid OF the large
/ 70 blow out, ana become noa-users OF coal as do
Others uslng IL largely AS steam generator. The
resLcc coal production, for the carrying companies
| desire large tonnage, nor To make mining less
remuneralye to the labor employed in producing
II, but by making production reliable at the
least possible nucSuation IN prices, to IN
| crease the use OF coal, tn1s widening the field
! oi labor in manufacturing and IN vtiler pur-
suits dependent ON Il steady supply OF cheap
inel Another meeting Of representatives OF
|
/ we understand, Will be held on Thursday OF this
| weeA. u Is hoped and believed that the terms
agreed upon Will be such that the miners will see
that it Is TO their interest TO promptly join then
AS an evidence OF the earnestness OF the carrying
| work at the same time, the Reading, the Lenigh
Valley. Lehigh Navigation Railroad. Delaware and
LacEawannd, ana in TACT al the railroad companies
| connecting with the Eastern market have met the
proposition TO resume Work i'll any OF the several re-
gens by such an advance OF toll charges as to ren
| der coal production or coal shipments Impossible
except the very limited shipments coal westward
| by the Northern Central OF PENNSYLVANIA. This
movement Necessarily blocks the trade and the
miners are left with nothing TO do, unless they Con-
sent TO work when and where those who employ
Their services may direct. The ann to 40
away with strikes" by which many mil
lions OF dollars have been already lost In
the anthracite coal regisns, with appreclabIe
operators, to carrying companies and TO millions OF
consumers Of fuel. The evi that exists in the
thraclte coal trade is admitted by all be most se
rious; but now 10 cure 1t IL question OF difficult
solution. .'strikesn so far have proved only aggra.
rators and carrying companies is bold, and may
dangerous steps but desperate cases require
perate leme0ies, and III this light we can out view
step taken tnat virtually shuts out further sup
ply Of fuel. IL the associations accept the propO-
Two interests II will be oil wen, and cheaper coal
will speedily follow but II the miners determine
10 "ight II out on tins llne," not IAN summer"
bat Tor even Six weeks, there VIII be such prices
of coal, and such hue and.cry among con-
sumers as mas not been known Tor years And VINO
will bear the censure and the 0dium OF thlsy Eacn
interest Will Try put the cause OF scarcity and
high prices upon the Othcr. The carrying cOmpa.
MES have assurances from the miners. On whicn
they think tney rely, that they Will work
on terms satisfactory TO the other interests It Is
earnestly hoped 80: but the tone OF their acknowI.
edged organs, and the reports that parties
are already before the pennsylvania and New Jer-
sey Legislatures soliciting restrictions in the matter
or toll charges, do not accord with the fulfment of
this most desired promise. The alternative pre-
sented TO the miners and men, who are in condl-
tiOn pecuniarIy TO stand out, is Il trying one; and
the other interests TO the issue presented feel Ats
settlement just now as IN the last degree important
10 them.
From the Philadelphia Record, Feb. osl
The condition OF the coal trade and the supply Is
OF absorbing interest to all classes OF the
munlty. The conduct OF the miners, the action of
the carrying companies and the decisions OF the
operators are all matters OF deep and earnest dis
cusslon as all these parties are aDOring earnestly to
enlist the public Judgment in favor OF their partcu
lar policy while In the interim or this lookup the
pubic and consumers are compelled 20 pay large
advance for their COAL with seeming prospect of It's