The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-01-31

FROM PRESIDENT sINEY.


ST. CLAIR, Jan Is, 1874.
To the Editor Of the woRKrSeHAxs ADVOCATE
embrace this as my first opportunity,
notwithstanding it is the Sabbath day, to
apprise you Of ourspeedy and successful ter
mination of what threatened to be at one
time the longest and most bitter strike that
wehaveh had to contend with. scarcely know
who to feel the most thankful to for such
q speedy termination, but do know that
the whole business community and the
local press Of our county have been in full
sympathy with us, for the first time in the
history of the organization. The merchants
were preparing to assist US and fight the
company, by refusing to receive goods that
might be sent to them over the Reading
Road. / also know that the New York
Herald, World, Tribune and the Times,
and, in short, with the above in particular,
all the Independent newspapers Of the land
have done their share in bringing this
company to terms. But / am not vain
enough to believe that the above power
would have been sufficiently strong to
make Mr.. Gowen vacate the field, without
first making a stubborn resistance, if he
could not have succeeded in bringing about
as he has done this combination of the
mining and carrying companies Of this
State. i can assure you that l had some
fears for the result, and began to prepare
myself accordingly. Our men had made
up their minds for FIVE or six months
contest. As soon as hostilities commenced
r lie 10 OF har
fields Of labor, to try to arouse my fellow
workingmen to promptly come to our
rescue, for / was determined if it was with
in my power, to prevent our men from
being ignominiously defeated and l ad-
vised the men of LuzerDe not to strike
under any circumstances until our difficulty
was settled, for it seemed that Schuylkill
had to be the battle-ground, and | asked
them (the men Of Luzerne) for their timely
aid and l say with pride that / had the
biggest and most enthusiastic meetings, at
which the representatives of the above
mentioned papers were at, | ever had in
my life. After explaining and showing
the necessity from my stand point for
every miner In the land to become mem
bers Of the Miners Organization, and
then on the amalgamation of all trades
unionists, for defensive purposes, the au-
diences rushed with gladness beneath the
folds Of the banner we had thrown to the
breeze at Youngstown, and it promises to
be a grand success.
The following is copy Of the agree
ment:
PITTsvILLE, Jan. "A, 1874.
To THE OFFICERS AND MEMBERS OF THE
Miners AND LABORERs' BENEVOLENT As
ISOLATION or SCHULKILL COUNTY:
GENTLEMEN:-Yourc committee take pleas
use in informing you that we have to-day
entered into an agreement with the Commit
tee of the Anthracite Board of Trade, as fol-
| lows
THIS AGREEMENT
Made and concluded at PottsriIe this t1ceaty-
| fourth day Of January. 1871, bettoeeR The
operators Of the SchayLkiH Region and hc
Miners and Laborers Benevolent Association,
BIZ their committees, for the basis for ,cIges, "a
| be paid the lcorkmeB IN the SchHylklU Region
for the year ending December 81, 1871.
Witnesseth:
The wages to be fixed upon a basis Of 81. 5(
per ton at Port Carbon, as a minimum.
The wages are to be, outside labor, ten no
dollars per week inside labor eleven m
dollars per week miners working by the day
thirteen (l3) dollars per week, and contract
or yard work to be the same rates as paid il
1873 The wages Of day work to be clear D
all cost
All advances are to be at the rate of on,
| ~ cent for every three ~ cents advance il
the price of coal above s.. so per ton averag,
at Port Carbon. The prices Of coal for fixin.
wages shall be obtained as follows On tn,
first day Of each and every month (if the frs
day should fall upon Sunday then the pre-
ceeding day. a committee consisting of one
representative of the operators and one of TIL
Miners and Laborers' Benevolent Association
shall meet in Pottsville and draw by lot from
a hist Of collieries shipping over twenty thous
and 10000 tons per annum over the Phila
delphia end Reading Railroad, five 81 collier
les who shall report to each of the COMMITTEES
on or before the fifteenth day of each an,
every month, If the fifteenth should fal
upon Sunday. then the preceding day. tn,
average prices obtained for all coal sold b,
them excepting pea coal, calculating the sam,
at Part Carbon. The committee appointed
as above shall meet on the 18th, and averag,
the prices so reported, which average shal
nix the rate Of wages for the current month
(Signed) GEORGE w. CoLE,
WILLIAM BRENIzER,
| DANIEL X. MILLER,
GEORGE w. JOHNS,
I. GARRETsCN,
JOHN SINEY,
| JEREMIAH CURRAN,
+. j. FITZPATRICK,
WILLIAM MORGAN,
ROBERT THOMAS.
Witness at signing of all
B. f. TRoUTMAN,
W. S. THOMAS.
We are aaaurad That fha farms of khie
agreement will be faithfully observed by every
operator in the legion for all work done in
and about the mines, during the year 1874,
and as they are those of your offer as decided
upon by your Executive Board on the 18th
inst We are Led 70 hona fiat Y Mill he canal.