Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-02-23
The Coal swindIers.


The swindlmg coal companies are busy and
srtful in their endeayors to mislead the public
relative to their pretended controversy with the
miners. They send letters from the mining
regions to some of the newspapers. They cir
culate false statements in regard to the wages
paid the miners. They say and do anything
that seems adapted to hide the truth and turn
condemnation from themselves. One false state
ment circulated in their interest is that the
workmen demand three dollars ton for min
ing coal; and they suppose somebody will be.
lieve it. Three dollars day,-or three dollars
for mining eight tons,-are the highest wages
of which the best miners have dreamed, and
they have never been paid so much. A com
mittee of miners in LuzerDe county have issued
card, in which they state the case as follows,
and challenge denial of their statement:
"The miner would feel quite satisfied if be
could get three dollars per day, which would be
only considered fair days wages when taking
into account the perils and dangers which he
has TO encounter by descending and ascending
those dark and dangerous shafts or slopes, with
no guarantee of life save an Indifferent chain,
or, as is too often the case, worthless wire
rope, which may at any moment bunch him
into eternity. He has also TO contend, when in
der smoke, and is liable at any moment to be
crushed or mutilated by fall of coal or rock.
When coal is sold at five dollars per ton at the
seaboard the miner gets fifty-ive cents per ton,
and does not average over eight tons per day
while working From this is deducted his
laborel's wages, amounting to $500 per week,
for loading his cars, besides paying for powder,
blasting paper, cotton and oil, &c. He has also
to pay monthly for the sharpening of his picks
and drills, and must procure his own shovels,
the balance OF the five dollars going TO the rail-
road companies and coal operators. The miner
viii always feel satisfied that coal should remain
at five dollars per ton at the seaboard, but when
1t gets below this price he cannot live or keep
his family
1t is easily seen, that, after the various dedue-
tons are made, the miners do moi get exhava-
giant wages. They mine the COAL pay for load
ing it in the cars, and for tools, powder, and
other materials For all this labor and expense
they get So cents ton, when the wholesaleprice
Of coal, at the points of shipment, is five dollars
ton. All the rest of the five dollars goes to
the companies, who own or control the lines Of
transportation to the seaboard. And, when it is
below five dollars ton, the pay ofthe miners is
reduced. The truth is, the companies make
money by suspending work. When the late
suspension began, they had about 100000 tons
Of coal at Underwater, ready for sale TO raise
the price, while the miners were at work, would
involve the necessity of raising their wages, for
their pay is regulated by sliding SCALE" BY
suspending work, they set themselves free
from the obligations Of this sliding scale; and,
duling the suspension, they can sell without re-
gard to it. AS soon as the late suspension be-
gan, they advanced the price of coal which bad
been quietly accumulated for sale, two dollars
per ton; and any one can see what this amount
ed to on 100000 tons. Now, they have placed
an embargo on transportation from the Mines
When they have sold out what remains at the
points of shipment, they will return to the old
prices, and 60 to work again, paying the miners
the lower prices Of the scale.
1t Is worthy of note, that coal always goes up
when one of these agitatiens is started. They
are contrived in order to advance the price.
But, prices are slow to go down when opposite
influences are at work. The swindlers now con-
trive TO have Illuminated that coal is very scarce
in the market; but tbs is not true. There is
coal enough for sale at the points where it is
usually bought Of the companies, much more
than will be used before they resume work.
80 1t is said and believed, by those who under
stand the situation. Some discipline of law
should be provided to restrain and punish these
INSCRIPTIONS swindlers.