The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-01-13
THE MINERS REVOLT.
NINE THOUSAND MEN PROTEST
AGAINST THE MONOPOLISTS.
THE DEMANDS OF THE OPERATORS.

NEW YORK, Jan. 10.
A Pottsville, Pennsylvania, special says
that the miners have rejected the PROPOSE
ton of operators to reduce their wages on
sliding scale, going as low as 81 p, and
1900 miners in that region are idle, and all
the great coal opera ors of the section have
stopped. The miners will not under any
circumstances submit to the proposition of
thesoperators. Unless the latter recede, then
will be struggle. The miners of the Col
umbia and Northumberland companies are
affected by the action of the Scbuylkill men,
and all the region indirectly. They will be
heard from Monday, and then the whole
region will suspend within few days.
REoPENING OF THE WAR.
THE PRELIMINARY STEP-How THE conf
PANIEs TREATED WITH THE MINERs-THE
WHOLE DISCUSSION.
The strike of 1900 miners here announced
has been apprehended for some time.
The causes are summed up In recent cor
respondence from Pottsville under date of
January s. 1t was thought that the question
of the miners wages for the year 1874, in the
Schuylkill region, would be settled at the
meeting to-day of the committees of the An
thracite Board of Trade, the Organization
of Operators, and the Miners and
Workingmens Benevolent Association
the trade union of the miners. But
after the submission of a proposition
from Franklin b. Gowen, the leading op-
orator. as president of the Reading Coal and
Iron company, sand its acceptance by the
other operators. the delegates of the miners
refused to assume the responsibility of ac-
cepting or rejecting the terms of the capital
ists-terms which modify the wages of last
year in so far as they contemplate fall in
/ ~ N
Carbon. When such shall be the case the
operators demand that the same concession
OF a proportionate reduction in wages be
made to them as they themselves make to
the miners when coal rises above that figure.
The other demand by the workmen-that
the prices of coal at Port Carbon be fixed
by the circulars of the Reading Coal and Iron
company, instead of by the returns of indi-
vidual operators-was negatively rejected,
inasmuch as the proposition of the operators
contemplates the latter mode of ascertaining
prices. Though the answer of the commit
tee of wOrl1ingmen is non-committal, con-
versations with individual members lead to
the belief that there will be a decided diff
ference of opinion among the whole body of
miners when they come 10 vote on the ques
tioD, and it is by no means certain that they
win accede to the proposition. Ii they do
not, there will ndoubtedly be a strike in
this whole Schyllkill region.
THE CORPORATIONS TERMS.
The following is the proposition of Mr..
Gowen on behalf of the operators:
To me Committee Of The Workfn9nie1' Of NE Coal
GENTLEMEN: would suggest the following as
fair method OF adjusting wages for the year
1874: 1. The basis TO be exactly the same in all
when the price of coal at Port Carbon shall be
less than 81 50 per ton the rate of wages shall de-
decline s line rate m price 9 vent 3 f9E %
reached, which sum of - p shall be the mini
mum for the year 1874.
certained in the same manner as they were in
1873. 1t 1t possible, and ! trnst probable, that
ton at Port Carbon during 1874 in which event
the miners and laborers will get exactly the
only class OF workingmen that will suffer no re-
duction in wages in consequence OF the panic of
last ta ~ ' Ias aid heTe r Is grest o.
the different districts, which is unjust and
should be remedied; and while also believe
the wages paid for contract work. which
are hfgeher in schuylkill than in 9TH
the argument of the men that % If coal brings the
same price as it brought last year their wages
should not be reduced. Hence ! would advise
the operators to abandon any claim for q general
/ reduction of wages at this time. But in view of
the crippled condition of many manufacturing
| tion, the general shrinkage of values resulting
/ from the financial panic OF 1873, and the ex-
i ceptiOnally mild weather OF the present win
| ter, ali of which will exert some influence upon
| the coal trade, IT, seems no more than common
prudence TO provide for the possible con-
/ tingency of lower prices for next year.
i And should such lower prices obtain, it would
not only be manifestly unjust for the working
men to expect the same rate of wages as was
paid when coal bought better prices, but ii
would be utterly impossible fcr the coal opera
as coal recedes below 81 so wages shall decline
exactly in the same proportion as they advance
when coal rises above 81 80. regret very much
would much prefer that the question of wages
should be adjusted by the operators and
the workingmen among themselves with
pany or myself. All parties mast now
| be willing TO admit that the new policy inau-
4 the benefit OF the region and not only given to
the workingmen better wages and more general
employment than they could possibly have OBJ
now at issue. is whether the Schuylkill region
can continue TO command its proper share OF
| markets for lS7i-to secure which IL is essential
that all interests, including the carrying com.
pany, the operator and the workingman, should
position which l have herein submitted / be
lieve to be greatly C. the advantage of the work.
ingmen, and think IL should be cheerfully and
| the operators in the same spirit.
HVery respectfully, FRANKLIN B. GowES.
The above proposition was accepted by the
operators at once in the following note:
| TO he Committee of The Miners ana Ldb0rers:-
| GENTLEMEN; The committee of the coal ope-
rators instruct me TO say that they will, on be-
half of the coal operators accept the proposition
this day submitted by Mr. Cover, and adopt IL
as their own proposition to the men tor the year
lS74- Very truly,
PROTEST OE THE MINERS.
The following is the manifesto Of the
miners committee addressed to the men
whom they represent:
TO The O6scers and Members Of The N. q L. B. a.
| GENTLEMEN: Your committee appointed TO
| wait upon the operators with your proposition
regarding the basis for lo74, would respectfully
ifnorm you that they have attended 10 that
| duty We met a full committee of the Anthra.
cite Board of Trade this morning. and immedi-
ately after organizing in joint committee, the
following letters, which fully explain
themselves, We're read BY she sec
retary Here follow the letters of Mr..
Gowen and the operators.l Feeding
that we possess no power TO go further in this
matter than simply to acquaint the operators
with your decision, and offer I'm argument In its
behalf your reasons for having come to that de-