The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-01-02
FHE COAL MINE TROUBLES.
A GENERAL sUsP ENsION or WORK
AND ITS ca USE


The IepIornbIc Condition Of the Mincrs-The
Enormous Profits of the Operators Some
thing About the Molly MuRuircs.
SCHUYLKILL COUNTY, Pa, Dec. 30.-On
Saturday last a general suspension OF mining
operations took place In the Schuylkill re-
cion In accordance with a resolve previously
formed between tho Philadelphia and Read
ing Coal and Iron Company and the few
remaining operators which together form the
schuylkill Coal Exchange. The reason as
signed for this course is a large surplus OF coal
in the markets, and the fear that were this sur.
illus kept up or Increased a reduction Of the
urioe OF coal would follow. This time II can
surely be called no strike OF the miners, as the
suspension was entered into without consulta-
ton with the men, and they would have neen
only too glad to continue work until the end of
the year, owing to their scanty earnings during
tue year. 1t has beon reported that the men
are well able to stand two months suspension,
because they have worked steady since June
and have been very frugal during that time.
Whether this is so let the following facts and
figures. gathered from the most reliable sources,
confirm or reject, "a the case may be.
There has been about Ave months' steady
work during this year, aud during that time
miners who work for days wages have earned
Sil.70 per week, and laborers, who are the most
numerous class of mine workers, tg per week.
Now the average number OF working days yer
month at the mines throughout season Il not
above twenty. OWING to accidents and other
causes that occasion little Temporary stoppages.
Here, then, we have Hs the result that miners
earned about $40 ner MONTH or SADf r the wear,
and lahorers $50 per month, OF $50 Tor the year.
Miners working nv contract have been ahie to
earn from ESQ to So. according to thcr qu Titles
"a workmen, and IN some odd cases 10 uiRh as
t15 per month was earned. Ihts would give
these miners from $50 to S3I5 for the year.
How much Of this they were able to snare aft,r
buyiug food and cluthtng fur themselves aud
fanllies, paying rent, Sc.. Ia matter for cloee
ST.. cuiouon. single uan rays no less than 80
lahorcr he has lid just 500 uorc for iis living
N 1873 than his total earnings amounted 70. and
II he ia % miner. IA must Ice a very good ono to
have come out spua re- on his Hoard alone, to say
nothing of his clothing.
srAGSATtOS.
Tho condition Of the men IL therefore, to say
the least, Ueplurahle Our, aud the Nnulc region
suneiS nccordinclv. busin,ss Il lm'tt AT
stanustill. ana those hIsinpss men vino h We In
former iime, oil eesteuti' ~ trusted me work,
iugWcu largtlv ma hoWtclNc- m Hn wkWatd
pu1iuou. IL IL true tie iupc Is utld uut tn Il
The susi eusiun val not be 4 long dnrttiuu. hut
the ptui lie here seem g. huSc lc rutd 10 ho
some. haf ch1ry Of such huHe-. e~peci llv dur
ing the winter month";. IL the stock ut 60 Al I
the fiii riuf ~, inia nnd M tho markets Is c r.
rectly reported, there T. indeed. very suite room
10 hope for general resumption before the
opening Of nav,stion m tic spriu-, unless,
dfeau ed of, consumption should tuke sudden
mere ae. $50 ts TO make ~ Increased supply
without cofroSuouoins f.ll In ptice- rcD,f sary,
tor this urdrrh 81 Industry ras ot LAT" yea p.
through ifs Nctng clrs ~ ,Hu rolled, t'tpu.c
singul iry eNeupt from The Laws OF tupi ~ and
demand.
Sircr the fornntion ~ tine rhlAd"lpha sud
kcadiri' OIL amt Iron Com any as IN uuNiharV
to the PhiiHdelpnia ma Reauinf Hliiroad Com
pany, ana t- IttNuase of upWa. Il ,t lUtuo acres
ot cOii land win almost an the cuthcrir, upon
IL. the coal trad so fr 40 the SChuyihill re- lon
on u I4HH mai at IlI4 a. IT I
T.. IS Ioweu. President Of those compdnies
ine consequence has been and - that he has
the power o. regulate n ~ Will. and IN cptnbiua
ton WITH tie other great companies the tr' de h
de To- tdNe course to euit corporation inter
sumers and producers. his IA notably illus-
Uatru by the fact that TO uav the cousUnors are
IN dc to pay regularly a. much Tor their coal as
theY uid at any lime since cue close OF the war
although the WAGES Of the mtuc workers has
been reduced 20 to " per cent; and miteiid
gong into the production OF coal at least - per
cent. during that period.
PRICE or COAL.
In the coal regions, people buy prepared coal
al tue minrs now at from $2.J0 ~ s. " long
ton" which frequently reaches 2,uO pounds.
Before TINS same KIND OF coal reaches the Pniia-
delphia or New York IA arkets, its price 10 in
creased TO from 50 to 81. and sometimes To -
the mines for "a long ton" already insures a
good profit after the operator pays nifty cents
per ton for toe lease, and yet from 3o5O 10 ~
and o. Is added ftOin tue time the cars leave the
mines until the coal reaches tue consumer,
without adding tue price OF ueliNeflnH 10 YOUR
houses from the yards. Here IA an enormous
profit somewhere, and, singular as IL m ~ ap-
pear, coal is sold as cheap In New York as In
Ihilade lphia. although tue former II much fur
ther removed FROM tue source OF supply Inc
actual cost Oh producing "a ton OF coN Is, IN
tue majority Of cases, not above A..
including the " cents tor royalty, aud 10 very
many cases tLJO will cover the cost. All that II
costs the consumer in advance Of THIS SUN IL
put OH for freight and AZ prOuts, showing that
the original cost OF coat Is more than treOled
from tue mines to the markets. Despite the
loug SUSPENSION In the beginning of tue year
and the present one, the shipments OF coal over
the Philadelphia and Reading road have uGered
reduction Of only fifteen per cent from those
Of last year, and the general volume Of produc-
ton will show no greater, n any reduction,
despite the increa-s I'd depression In all branches
OF trade Of this year over last. And yet the
prices of tns commodity have been maIntaiued.
while in almost every other branch OF industry
prices have suffered a reduction.
To the miners indeed belongs the credit or
discredit OF OF iginating this system OF Teeulat-
lug tue supply aud price Of this article Of ne
their Miners Union, they advocated an occa-
stonaI suspension for the above purpose but
they were laughed 20 and called iRuOrumuses
by the operators, who then ueemed course
that they themselves have chosen with so much
profit to themselves and the companies an i'm
possibility, and that plan IL now carried out not
only to the cost OF the miners but To- the con-
sumers al well. Thus while the miners nave
taught their employers some profitable wisd ON,
they have ad ample cause to regret having been
So wise themselves. No branch Of Industry Is
to-day SO clevOrly handled for profit this,
while perbeps none bear SO heavily upon the
shoulders Of the CONSUMERS.
THE MINERS UNION.
For several years past the negotiations for
basis between the Miners Union aud the en-
ployers, which usually begins about this time OF
the YEAR were watched with great Ceal Of in
teTast, but tbis year very little Importance Is at
tachrd TO 1t, as the union is in such a democrat
ized condition as to rob II Of any power TO ex-
act anything from the employers. The long sus-
pension OF last spring gave lt shock from
winch u has not recovered sufficiently to show
a bold front, DESPITE the almost superhuman
efforts Of the leaders To revive and feunlto IL.
Therefore no great niDdr"nce to n general re-
sumption need he expected from that quarter,
and whatever cause for blame there may be IN
that direction must fest for the time being upon
the shoulders Of the employers. Even were the
union still strong, e. such condition Of pow
erty are the majority Of the men driven that
they would willingly accept almost any terms
But what Will the condition Of these people
be during the long and dreaIy winter mouths Z
| Ten Thousand OF these men, with a dependence
OF al least 10000 people, are thrown out Of en-
| pluYment at the very threshold OF winter after
the most meagre earnings for the year. The
people here hope for tue best but fear the
/ worsn Durib. the eXistence Of the Miners
| Union, 10 their credit he It said comparative
peace and quiet reigned In this county but nc
| sooner the late suspension over, with its
| concomitant shattering OF that union when the
carnival OF blood seemed to break out afresh
| The union having had the effect Of bringing the
| men Of the different matte uallties into close 70
lationship, begot more healthy fee Ing Of friend
| ship among them. This relationship has nov