Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1876-01-22
YiIE MINING JOURNAL.
- Fa )5TBURG, MD, JAN. %. 1876.

THERE il probably not a coal region III
the country tifat can less afford a reduction
of wages than this. Comparatively remote
from agricultural districts, nearly every
thing in the Iiac of provisions is necessarily
high. Our merchants after paying long and
short ticghts, etc, cannot afford to sell
and deliver n,any of these goods at less
profit. And the miners more especially
those with large Clieilics, with the work
as lately distributed, cannot pay more.
Now whether considerations of this sort
enter into the deliberations Of the comra-
MICS on this subject we know not, Lat it
ought to. lc might be found that the miner
is not properly the chronic victim for the
cry of reduction. A great deal snbstan-
TALLY and morally, depends on paying him
well. Good pay purchases ,horoughmcss,
carcfulness and fnthfulness, and infuscs
satisfaction all round
1t seems a bad plan, too, 20 make This q
measure for lowering the price Of a superior
coal in order to compete with inferior
qualities, unless we intend abandoning the
Just claim set up by general consent for our
product. 1t is easy to put the price down;
it will he harder to put it up when the occa-
sion comes as come it will. 1t Is said the
market price Can he maintained even now
attn ugh the Cleariield coal is trenching on
our interest, yet the effort is making to put
the two Goals practically on a level by re-
ducing the price OF mining here to the price
of mining there. We hope it will not be
done.
1t is very evident, however, that some re-
duction will be made. If it results in Civ
ing constant work to all our men there will
be much to mitigate the reduction. This,
on the part of the miners, should be care
fully and calmly considered In these hard
times they have much at stake. If more
work brings more money, the subject de-
serves mature thought before deciding to
reject such proposition
With that monstrous effort now making
in the Maryland Legislature to tax this coal
there seems to be determined combina-
ton against the interests of this section
The effect of the whole thing is to put the
burden here and distribute the profits else
whcrc-to force our people to work for less
money to swell other revenues. We trust
cur Senator and Dclcga e1s Will interposc
manfullv to prevent an inlliction which at
last Expresses those least able to bear it
the wolkingmcn of this section.
And if there is really any consistency in
reduction, let t affect the whole line fl ON
the president to the humblest employee; let
it pay special attention to the standing sal
aries, and in ali respects scrapc the butter
off the bread all round. Ii rctrenchment is
the word, let us have it in the Office rs We'll
as tie mine. Nothing less is just; nothing
less is right.
WE have frequently been struck with
the casiness Of paying q tribute to your
own sharpness. The following from the
Times is III point:
in surprising Mr.. Randall, the so called
evangelist" to be dcmcntc and agrees
with the generality of the press that the
''so-Caled' is an impostor. We'll neighbor,
We wont disputc the point. We only
know that when he asked for five thousand
circulars to be printed at this Office on
credit we instantly concluded he was in
sane; and acted accordingly. 1t would
have been better if some of our friends had
done likewise.
If the "Eyangclis;" had initiated his OPP
cralions in this region at the Times Office
the case might have been different. We
might have then had the pleasure of iclici-
tating ourselves upon shrewdncss e.
based on the Times experience. SO that
when you have your neighbor's misfortune
before you both as guide and wainlnT
"you know just where you arc" Aad,
knowing SO much, it isn't graceful to set it
PUP as business sagaciy AS against the
neighbor whose loss has saved You from
imposition This is why the Tines did
not do "likcwisc.'
AMONG the questions demanding urgent
attention b. the Legislature is the settle
mcnt of a boundary dispute between Gar
rett county, Maryland, and Preston county,
West Virginia. In an area of twenty
square miles, claimed on good grounds by
Maryland, many land titles are held under
Virginia patents long before West Virginia
was erected. This is 4 complication which,
for the sake Of all Immediately concerned,
should be speedily adjusted. Besides this,
-four State can make good her claim to !lla
area referred ~. it will he that much assist
ance in the way Of correcting that colonial
relic at AnnaposiJ called the Maryland
Land Record, which credits Ailegany and
Garrett with an area Of LIS square miles,
and which defeated the new county move
ment two years ego. Tie Legislature
might Kill The two birds with the same
stone By incorp rating the survey Of cur
West Virginia territory with the survey to
determine tho area Of the two counties pro-
yided for in the new count, bill The
same commission could attend to both.
THERE is man in Baltimore needs look
ing after. He has made tie discovery that
the counties Of Allcgany and Washington
"are the very last To he entrusted with the
control Of the Public Works" Unfoi,un-
ately tcF his selfish soul these counties are