New-York tribune., 1873-08-01
THE COAL QUESTION.
THE LUzERNE COUNTY MINERS DISCONTINUED.
To the EdtIOr Of The Tribune.
john PAUL


To (he EdtIOr OF The Tribune.
SIR: What is known as the Lackawanna Coal
Region extends from Pttston where the Lackawanna
River empties into the Susquehanna, up the Lacka-
wanna Valley TO Carbondale. About 6oCo,Ooo tons or
more than onehrd of the total product Of anthracite
coal are mined in this region. The business Is almost
entirely in the hands Of three corporations: the Della
ware and Hudson Canal Company the Delaware, Lacka-
wanna and Western Railroad Company and the
Pennsylvania Coal Company These corporations
own the coal aud the railroads that transport it 10 mar
ket that there contests between producers and
transporters as has often been the in Schuylk
County where. till recently the production and trans
portion was done by different parties. Our labor dif
cuties here have been entirely between the three
poratious above named the side, and the miners
and aborers the other In all such contests there
has generally been good understanding between
these corporations, and in all strikes Work
has been stopped and resumed by each at
about the tlme The leading spirit
on the part the companies is Mr. Storrs Of this city,
general agent of the coal department Of the Delaware
Lackawanna and Western Company. He is a straight
forward with good deal Of pugnaeity and very
little that suavity Of manner which is sometimes so
eecual in preventing destructive friction in business
machinery. The miners are mostly Welsh and Irish.
and are naturally quick tempered. Difficulties between
the workmen and employers have sometimes arisen
which perhaps might have been averted If both sides
had been more ready TO cOnciiate each other.
The present aspect Of the coal question s one OF un
certainty 1t ia generally understood though the cor
pOTaon officials will not acknowledge It, that combl-
uatOn Of coal and railroad corporations exists the ef
feet which put up the price of coal and keep at
high figure The OIL Gals OF the Delaware Lachawanna
and Western Company say that during the 1872
their Company actually lost jOOOOO Since last Fan
and Winter the price OF coal has been steadily going up
about ten cents per ton each MONTH I'll Is now In the
ueghbOrhOOd OF - per ton at wholesale III NeW-lo
THIS figure VIII pay the producers large profit, ana 1t
that they should be satisfied without forcing
1t any further. ,
excess Of the demand, ana all the companies IN ths
region are decreasing their production. TINS is not
done newspapers have asserted, by decreasing
the hours of labor but by stopping work IN some OF the
mines OstensDy Tor repairs, nut IN reaIty 10 prevent
the mining more coal than the market Will take. The
decrease in this region Tor the present month mas been
from to 10000 tons per week. Toe miners see their
becoming restve delegation has already waited upon
Mr. Storrs with requestor Increased wages which mas
not propose 10 increase the wages at present. The
argue that their work and pay are essened for
lhe pra on T ~ coa and that il Is no more than
lust that their wages should be increased II the
higher and also lessennG the production,
the result must inevitably be 70 increase
may not result in strike. The long strikes OF and
1871 taught each side to respect the strength OF the
that experience. II strike is inauguTatedi will not be
by the steady Industrious mhers VINO own tkeir MONIES,
credit with the butcher and grocerynan at one place
and then move 10 an0ther Ids c!ass nas n9tIng %
lose, and will hail strike as time OF rest and reerea-
ton.
The companies DO not want q strife, for though II
might enable to work on their present stock at
higher prices would tend to check consumption. and
taus nure the market In the future The business
90 not "a strike because the money here nearly all
comes from the disbursements OF the companies and
when these stop work business of every kind Is almost
suspended. And yet though one wants a strike, If
the combination continues force the price OF coal
higher without increasing the workingmens wages,
there danger that the contest OF 1871 be renewed
delegation Of miners Will 90 10 Mr. StOrrs and ask an
increase OF wages, which will be refused aud ar
gument Will follow in which both parties will lose their
temper and blaze will be started which, like forest
conf agTaOn is easy kndle but hard TO eXtngush.
Scranton Penn. July 25 1873. ANTHkACIIE.