The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-04-19
THE COAL TROUBLES.


The following is Mr.. Gowen's argument delivered
before the Pennsylvania Senate Ju iiclary Com
mittee on the Both ult.:-,
Gentlemen: We, who are Pennsylvanians, have
always been under the impression that our State
derived great benefits from having within her Dor
ders the only accessible deposits OF anthracite coal
yet discovered in the United States have been
taught to regard the possession of this vast mineral
wealth as a great blessing; but can assure you,
that in consequence of two years of suffering under
the control and mismanagemen of the leaders of the
Workingmen's Benevolent Association, am almost
tempted to doubt whether all this treasure upon
which our Commonwealth has so largely depended
for her revenue-which has given such an unexam-
pied impetus to manufactures, and has at
tracted TO us aggregation of capital that has
supplied employment for, and fed and clothed so
large proportion of an industrious laboring popu-
lation-has not been great evil and great curse;
and fear that you, gentlemen, who have spent so
much time in an earnest endeavor to fathom the
causes Of the present unfortunate condition of
affairs in the coal regions will be willing to agree
with me in this conjecture.
Our neighbors of New York derive their prospe-
rity from and boast of the supremacy of commerce;
but when we recall to our minds how heeting and
evanescent has been the reign of commercial pros
perity in all the countries Of the world and remem-
ber that at the beginning of this century Salem
was one Of the most important ports in the United
States, who can tell whether, the close of the
century, Salem or Boston may not have regained
now whiten the bay of New York may not float
upon the waters of the Delaware or ride at anchor
In the harbor of Norfolk? But the prosperity de-
rived from the possession of mineral treasures is
more enduring; and in her coal fields our own great
Commonwealth has control OF an unfang source
of wealth. which, if properly fostered by the State,
will be far more lasting than that which depends
upon the diamonds of Brazil is derived from the
gold of California. You may be surprised to learn
that the coal traffic alone has within the past ten
years paid into the treasury of the State between
five and six millions of dollars, and that, notwth-
standing the difficulties with which have had to
contend during the past year, the corporations for
whom now appear before you have paid as taxes
to the State, in the year 1870 nearly eight hundred
thousand dollars Why is it that our farmers have
been relieved from State taxation upon their lands
the State debt has ceased to be burden upon
population, and the finances of the Commonwealth
are in so sound condition? Simply because the
interests for which L appear before you-whch
have been stricke g down by the unlawful combina-
ton of an ignorant faction, and are now struggling
to be heard in calm judicial investig CATION against
the wild clamor of the demagogue and the fanatic
have paid into the Golfers of the State so large an
amount of taxes that other interests and other in
dustries have been relieved from the payment Of
any.
Having called'your attention to the great impor-
tance of the subject under consideration, and fully
conscious that the result of your deliberations may
be either to these great interests from the
evils that environ them, or to consign them again
to the control of a tyranncal association, now
propose because it is necessary part of the ar
gument shall make in defence of the course pur-
sued by the railroad companes) to give, as sue
cinctly as can, and with some regard to the chro-
nology of events, a statement of the causes which
have led the several corporations to adopt the
course which has called forth this investigation,
and then to present legal argument in defence of
their action together with some suggestions as to
the S Of adjusting the and
1t lis we'll known that during the late war the de-
mand for coal was greatly Increased: The navy
m n -uhn
are always the great consumers-were prosperous
and active coal-mining became exceedingly profit
the % Iiners ond isborors were paid high wages and
to earn several hundred dollars month. In con-
sequence of this, great impetus was given to the
coal ira trade New cOllieries were rapidly opened;
Witch xese eS eRenass every Ssw vas1
wages earned by the miner attracted from other
countries a large immigration of skilled work.
many who left other trades and occupations to ga
ther the golden harvest which was spread before
peace was declared and they demand had ceased,
the productive capacity of the anthracite coal re-
the consumption of coal; and the laboring popula-
tion had increased 80 rapidly that employment could
not be given to all. The natural remedy for this
state Of things would have been enforced by the law
Of demand and supply. The RECONSTRUCTED and
at the rate the public was willing to pay for it
would have been abandoned and the better class
of c0llierieS that could nave supplied the market
would have continued at work and given en-
ployment to as many men as were necessary to
produce the amount of coal required by the
wants of the community. The surplus population
that could find no employment at mining would
have gone back to other occupations, until the
increased demand for COAL resulting from low
prices, would have called them again to the coal
regions. Thus year or two of low prices would
have supplied the cure for all the evils that were
felt at the close of the war. But about this time
there came into prominence an organization which
is now known as the Workingmen's Benevolent AS
sociation. Embracing originally several distinct
societies In the different regions, 1t gradually be-
came united and compact organization, chartered
first by the courts, and subsequently by the Legis-
entire laboring population of the anthracite coal
region. The object of this organization to
cure employment for all of it's members, and pre-
vent the reduction of wages which every other class
of labor had to submit to at the close of the war
Well knowing that If all its members worked full
day during the year, the production of coal would
be much greater than the demand, they insisted
upon an Increased rate of wages and decreased
amount of work, which would enable man TO earn
in six or seven months as much as had previously
been earned in year,-so that the entire popua-
tion should receive employment without increasing
the supply of coal above the demand. AS Ii also
well known to them tkat such wages could not be
paid unless the price of coal was kept up to high
rate, they suspended work whenever the price
reached such sum as made 1t impossible for their
employer to comply with their demands
We, who thought we understood something about
the laws of trade and knew that natural causes
would soon bring relief, demonstrated with the
leaders of this organization in vain. The law of
supply and demand, and every sound maxim of
trade which experience has demonstrated to be
correct, were thrown to the winds; and from the
bowels of the earth there came swarming up new
school of political economists, who professed to be
ing day, to regulate great industry and restore it
to vigOr and health. In the widest flight of the
Imagination OF the most pretentious charatan there
never was conceived such a cure for the ills with
which were afflicted as was suggested by these