New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-01-08

To the skilled contract miner GLOWING him 10 cents
ing him with hall the cost OF gIngwnys, &')....S 90
UnskJed laoQr, leaders, drivers, teamsters, breaher'
Weh ana b0ys".. F.st...:f..: o.
Engineers, remen, bosses, clerks, DlaeksmIGhs. and
Material dncGdine material for when the mlocr
Royalty tor rent paii to lanI-owncrj IS
Ktllold company lateral and long road tolls an
Allowance for depreciation OF improvenents...... Is
Total 20
This makes allowance for profit to the operltorP for
commissions TO middlemen FOR cost OF handling
the railroad terminus m Philadelphia. From these 1g
ures Mr. johnson reaches the following conclusions
umang the miners ~ be employed only eight months
out Of the twelve:
First: II the skilled miner worked FOR tho love of work
ana without paw aud bore himself the cost OF powder,
on and tools, coal would only DO reduced Gu cents per
Second: II nil minors and mime laborers worked
| tullously the reduction wOull only be 81 u.
HTd: II the skilled miners were 20 receive aver
age o 81 per week for week In the year. the
ductou would be but II 10 cents per ton This pre-
Stunning the skilled miner now makes 500 per month
worked wncA the operators claim ho does, uut which
no pay ron will prove 70 make argument secure.
however desire 70 represent The miners case III the
worst possible light.
Fourth: Everybody in this section believes that the
companies will insist some kInd Of reduction, but
nobody seems to know exactly low much OF sacrifice
th' miners VIII Dc asked - maze Ihe heaviest, now
ever t1at has vet been mcntl0ned-- reduction which
VIII not, and which tho companies do not expect VIII
be acceded TO under any Circumstance Is II per cent
| on Gay work and 20 per cent on contract work
|
dn0rerS $ 80; inside aborcrS 80 6S miners sl A for
every week worked. s. l. 20 49, aud 81 G3 respect
the contract miner gn taxi tie excessive surcs OF
me operators as bass OF calcuiatou S2 81 tor each
week IN the 52 These figures, be It remembered,
sent the highest possible wages that can be earned
under such u reduction. they contemplate stop
pages during the eight months either from want OF de.
nani breakdOwns AZ the cOhery, strlke sickness OF
the miner, any other cause Aud win II oh. the
duCtiOn IN Inc cost OF ton Of coal would be traction
less than Is! pcco OF paper and pencil, aNd Ite
plain figuring, with the aid OF these tables, which, be
the miners, vii nca the doubling reader these
astonishii.- assertions OF their simple truth.
The reduction proposed by the operators is not as
great Mr. johnson supposed might be. Instead Of
20 and II cent Oh inside and outside wages respect
ivoly it is only Is AMI 10. think he is in in sup
posing that industrious get work only during
eight months Of the year It should also be stated
modification Of his figures tho earnings OF miners,
that most OF them work by contract and that tho pay
rolls OF several cOliCres shOwn in the LchSh region
indicate that the daily earnings OF doing
contract work at che old prices during the past season
over 50 50 PEI day, many making high S. aud
very few getting less than s. 60 reduction OF Is per
| cent on these rates would still leave pretty liberal
remuneration. The best way to settle all disputes
what the have earned under the old wages system
and what they the proposed basis refer
ence 10 the payros II the editor Of The WorkinGndn
will publish the rolls OF half dozen cocries In his
vicinity lie Will do the miners and the public service.
TIE main of the high price of coal in EIstcrn
markets, Mr.. Johnson believes land hero entirely
agree with him) is the determination of tho railroads
penetrating the anthracite fields to make enormous
profits the transportation OF tn" article to tide water
Tue folio statements his letter in relation TO the
Philadelphia and Reading Company are especially IN
| terestng:
This corpora ion one Of the largest suc-
IN the country. the close or ih" year 1873 its
paidup capital was ever hrty-four nil IONS aud it's
BOMBED det hearing g. g. ana per cent interest, over
eleven more, ana controls another (the Read
ing and COlumJi.), making, WIN tho sidinGs total
length 14iO 10 mites. It's gross receipts IN 1873
were tl4S52C6J 6S t91OlC9l - OF whicL--nofe Than
| thrce-hfns OF the WhOt-was from tolls on
| coal. Considerable more than oneIhrd OF these
r, eipts G5,c95,l5s So was paid out as diyl-
dends 40 pr cen anu Interest ON the bonded dent In
Order TO enable them to pay ont this immense sum TO lis
British STOCK aud bOnlhOdcr-, 1t was compelled 10
charge for carrying .Oh 81 'oh per ne oZIOoConS,
when the carriage cost them but $500 oil cent. the
charge being more than 100 per cent more than the cost
Ia otncr words II cost u" COMPANY hpou, % 'enIs 10
carry each Il Goa: tom Port Carbon 10 Philadelphia,
distance "I 70 hu'. an ~, ~ % VIZ Sou -,
pay for The SCI vice about 81 r. the Glhelthce uehg but
Is cents lrs than tue total cost or tue skilled aud nm
skilled mining labor entering into the production Of tho
ton In addition TO Tue man .G anu Tue u Dr'Deh
roads works or conIOl this corporation l. also
| COMPANY, which, II apprars from the
| nual reports Of the Auditor General considerable
additional burden on Tie railroad comrany Bat. worse
| than all tLis the Pnladelpiil and Reading X urOld
Company Is also the Philadelphia ana Reading Coal aud
| Iron COMPANY, n corporation which owns inmenSe
arel OF coal lands in scnuylkil Columbia. and North
| many of tacm being OF ex rlOrdlnary producing
paciy. cannot say how many millions OF money are
that Mr.. Gowen, It's President stands pledged 10 Pay 10
per Gem dlvilcnds or interest on them all Meu Ike
Mr. Borda OF Philadelphia, who are thoroughly posted IN
matters Erecting the coal trade" insist that for many
as Ills rornoTatIon will make no profits by an honest
and htforward conduct Of its business and that
lis pledges II redeemed at all, must be made
the the one baud, aud by reducing the miners
10 state OF senl-staryatiOn on the other calculate
from the f,ilCs | have already given and from csti-
OF
sumer pay In dividends, interest aud $4,000 saa-
RES TO tLis Philadelphia ANA Reading Rtro I'd Company
under its several aliases ut least slO0OJGOO annually,
which first lien upon the earOonilerous deposits aud
labor Of this lower end Of the anthracite region In
addition TO this slOC0OOJ0. s26O0OOO Is to be paid
royalty or to the landowner for ms coal These two
items alone eat we'll nigh half the total amount paid
for coal Port Richmond have alluded thus paruc-
ularly TO the Philadelphia and Reading Company be.
Caus, am more familiar with its figures and its policies
of the half dozen or more other railroad.
caua and coal and iron COMPANIES which fatten of an
tbraclte, and which are different IRON the Heading III
degree only.
The miners are naturally indignant that the operators
should set reducing their wages, while making
effort force the railroads to give up In behalf OF
portion OF the lions share OF the price OF
coal they are receiving. go to the railroad COM
panies first and induce them TO be content with so
profit IN hauling coal to market, and then conc to
US with your propositions for reduction OF wages"
they say Mr. Johnson predicts and counsels strike.
He says no reduction Will take place until swords have
been crossed and the unQuestionaDy worsted ana
adds:
And the men hopeful OF the result In
comes Their confidence Is horn. FIRST, Of the eminent
Justice Of their position, and, secOnd Of the prepare
lions they have prudently been making. The M. and
L. b. A especially strong Ia numbers in the Sehuykl.
Shainokin and Lhigh regions, and the balance Of the
anthracite counties are organized under the Miners
National atOD OF which John Siney Is President,
and which has its headquarters at Cleveland These
two organ not officially connected with each
other but the purpose OF each IA the purpose Of the
her. and the $40 $50 lodges OF the National located
at points the great coal belt stretching from
Maryland 10 Wyoming Territory, viii, l have
doubf dseply symuathiZa with, N