New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-01-02
COAL MINERS WAGES.

COAL MINEHO' w AUED'
OPERATORS DETERMINATION TO PAY LESs-MiNERs
IN COMPUTATION ABOUT ACCEPTING rIIB NIX"
TERMs-INTEREST OF THE CONSUMER IN IhtiH
DECISION.
rFRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRiBUNE'l .
MAUCH CHUNK, Penn, Dec. 30.--lt strike
results from the determination Of tho coal operators W
put down wages 1t will not seriously injure etner pro
or consumers of anthracite provided IL asts no
longer than two months Tho oollery-owners WOulu DO
glad TO stop operations for few Woeks ID oruer 70 WI
OFF the stock whioh has accumulated at inc prlhoP
shIpping points; consumers would not prooaoH H0'
the benefit Of the immediate reduction IN price no"
nromIsod tbel. but they would havo no reason 10
fear further advance the stock IN nrst hanuS poi"S
aInple TO last the Winter through; ana as Tor tne miner
- have done so well during the past season that most
- ba,o conld afford TO be dlo for awhile Besides COZ
lieres seldom work than half time durinR 'e WI"
ter months. whether the men Will shlke Ut nv 0"IuoS
he known until their trades-HnIon oTganzlt'on' o"i'u
thu Worlingmen's Benevolent Association taxes action
on IN. question This society extends over nearly io
whole of tho anthracite region and Is an absolute
, IN the relations CT miners TO their employers II IL
ordara strike tho men Will out and stay out uhIu
IL directs them to go TO work again Tue men "Ho cur
troll this powerful organization possess more 'an ofu
nary Intelligence and tho affairs OF the mines are VI
reoted by them with considerable sagacitJ Inc Assoc
finn has n
;noan published at Pottsvlle, which, while necessa-
H. +li stronq partisan ground in favor Of the miners
an all questions arising between them and the bosses
djsplays good deal of ability and fairness There are
several reasons for thinking that hero Will DO no srKe
Th. uiners know that short strike would be playing
into tho hands Of the operators, VINO "ouI"
be glad to stop work until spring "
ia therefore n question with them between
accounting the reduced wages offered or entering upon
9Th
result In these hard tines when nearly all classes OF
workinemen have been obliged to accept slow wages
and thousands arc not able 20 get any wages at ALL the
miners could not upon the support OF puOhc opn
ION in striking and would the risk OF having ther
plaees filed by men drawn from the crowded ranks OF
the unemployed. Statistics Of earnings at dhereht COL
eres given IN ny letter. show that with tho reduc-
,o of from 10 to IS per cent on the present wages
nroposed by the operators, the miners ana
JaborerS about the mines viii still DO much
better Off than most mechanics, and can earn tWlco as
much as The hon miners in this state ana NeWJerSey'
who arc working for from 90 cents TO 81 % day TEese
copsIderators will influence the Judgment of many OF
tho more intelligent, but tho majority OF the miners
will no doubt DO clamorous for strike Perhaps De-
fore decisive action Is taken the wise counseS OF the
more prudent will prevail. Sill tho fact that lower
wages have very seldom been accepted without suAe
leads most Of the operators to anticipate thae Tue
miners will decide to " 90 out early in January II
they do the price Of coal will probably remain @here II
IS II they decide to accept the forms, fall OF Il
ton from the present Board prices may no e1pec'eu
METHODS or LOWERING TIE PRICE.
lam disposed to thinItna the operators saoud have
begun their Efforts to cheaper GOAL by demanding re-
ducton OF tolls from the railroad companies. Having
effected this they could with better grace to
the miner As long the railroad company takes hfty
per cent of tho price Of ton Of coal III Newfork for
hauling it from tbs mines to dewaer tho miner can
not easily be convinced that he gets disproporuonate
amount for his labor The fact that most Of the railroad
companies are largely interested in mines interferes
with efforts for lower tolls, because at every operators
meeting there are whose chef interest Is in tho
railroad which hauls tho GOAL from tho coery they rep
resent rather than in the oOliery Itself Tho Phadel
uha and Reading Railroad owns over 30 coeries In the
schuyEil rogion the Central Railroad Of NewJersey IL
tina uriucipal stakeholder Ia company called the
Lahigh and Wilkrsbarre Coal COMPANY. which mines
largely this and the Wyoming Valey the L9high Val
Railroad extensive traces or coal lands Ouf
beevs, docs not mine; ami the two companies uralhR
the northern snthracte 'his ths Dtl' wAre anu III
son and the Delaware L2cklvenna and Western are, II
o1ht In xst be veez the business OF mining
and transporting coA for the protection Of the public
against o monopoly IN this article Of prime necessity
1hs Pcnnsy,vania Constitution prohibits railroad
companies from mining articles for transportation over
ts works and from owning coal lands but the provision
locks the stable door after tho horse Is solen IL can
not act CT post GacO and much OF be most valuable coal
lands state together with scores OF the most pro
Guetve e0sries had fallen into the hands Of railroad
corporations before II adopted.
Complaints 0f the bi0h price OF GOAL most lOud
among the furnaee-O Iners who have bstn making IRON
at positive loss for several months vanV hoping that
every month would bring better pr0os Before tho
coal cost the furnaces in the Lohkh and tho Scnuyk
re gon about 81 70 per ton; now 1t costs 81 % MI
GOwan the President Of the Reading Railroad tells tao
In his section that they could not make pig
metal profit If he were 10 give Them their coal for
nothing Their reply Is that IL takes about one and
tnreeOurths OF coal 10 produce ton OF iron and
that reduction OF 81 ton coal would therefore re-
duoe the cost of making ton Of IRON 81 75 which would
often be the difference between a positive loss ana
small profit In this connection the prediction or gem
teman OF very large experience In the coal business
Is interestnC-I think no viii not object % my giving
his name-ts Gen. LILY OF this place. He says that
within Is years from this timo the smetinS OF iron with
anthracite will cease, and the argument on which he
Eases his rather startling prediction briefly follows
The anthracite region Is OF limited eK,ent and Its pro-
duotiOn cannot be pushed much beyond 25OO0OO0 tons
year Last year the total product was 2962SOOl and
this year 100000. The limit OF production viii
soon be reached. Then, 40 the country Increases IN
population anthracite. as the faYorte domestic coal,
will be more and more in demand for household use,
nnii ths demand rnns In advance Of the supply and
NUS prices u1 80 bigh that the class OF Consumers
who ca least afford TO dear fuel will be forced TO
abandon altogether This class the furnace owners
In such ease tuey would have 10 seek the vicinity OF
tho btumlnOus coal fields leaving tho furnace staeks
that line the valleys the Lohghs the Schuykil, and
the SusQuehanna monuments 10 c9mmemOrate q re-
mArkable revolution in the iron trade.