Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1877-02-10
THE MINING JOURNAL.
TROsTBURG, MD, FEB. 10, 1877.

pretty soon-that is, if we are to do any
business There is a manifest uncertainty
about the wages question. Fiity-tive cents
now prevails, but we understand a move
ment will shortly be made to reduce the
rate How it will be met, how it will sue
coed and what will be the effect, remains
to be seen.-Neacs.
The recent discussion of the wages
question indicated very clearly how
any further reduction will be met. )"
The miners will unanimously hold out
against it. Indeed, the action of the
Homecoming meeting which conceded
a reduction to IS cents, was not favor
ably received by large number who
claim that no sufficient reason there
for has been accorded by the compa-
MES. The standing pretext of "lost
trade floats as rumor-not as an of
fetal utterance. An effect has been
sought by magnifying largely very
small cause ; reduced wages was to be
reached without specially committing
the companies to any statement which
would not stand investigation. Hence,
every cause save the true one is indus
triously paraded to sustain the prin-
ciple Of compulsory wages by every
body interested in making what the
miner must lose by the transaction.
Even the Baltimore and Ohio railroad
puts on an air Of sovereign economy,
OF injured interests. We again quote
the Neaus:
In this connection we may mention that
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad company
has ceased entirely to draw fuel supply
from our region This is heavy loss to
us. The company say they can buy to
better advantage in the NIonongahela,
Keystone or Clarksburg region, to all of
which they have access, Vice President
King is credited with the remark that our
coal is too high for his company to buy
that they will make no more carry ing CON
cessions to the trade until the production
is cheapened !; that they paid out last year
about hundred thousand dollars in freight
drawbacks, all of which was spent here,
and that no further drawbacks will be
given under existing circumstances.
The loss Of this companys patron
age is not so great as it seems.
1t amounts to nearly II per cent. of
the total production, and when we
consider how we'll it was compensated
in the carriage Of over Sc per cent, of
the entire output, We find the coal
which is too high for the company to
buy" is still low enough to admit of
freight concessions amounting to "one
hundred thousand dollars This re-
gion is not by any means an unprotit-
able patron Of the railroad compara-
lively, there is heavy balance against
the railroad; in exigent periods it is
plain the region can do better without
the railroad than the railroad without
the region.
In the matter of carrying conces-
sons, it should not be forgotten that
the drawback" was instituted to
meet an extraordinary reduction of
canal transportation rates, and was
dropped when the canal closed. The
hundred thousand dollars" alleged
as spent here, is, therefore, due to no
concession made by the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad, but to the low
rates by canal, with which the road
was compelled to compete.
When this competition ceases per
manently, the railroad will have gain
ed high vantage ground, of all the
availabilities of which it will not be
slow to make use. Ii, therefore, its
high freight tariff S 10 he maintained
in all contingencies may not the miner
hold out for IS cents with equal Justice
and credit to himself :: One thing is
sure, if one hundred thousand dol
lars was spent here last year by the
railroad company, tie miner received
none Of it. He owes nobody any re-
duction on that score. He is under
no obligations to work for less than lis
price more than the railroad 10 carry
at its price, which would not be les
sened cent if the miner were to work
for nothing.
After all, the miner is master of the
situation. 1t is true, he may have
purchased property during the high
pressure times and yet owe for it more
than it is worth reduction with him
is accumulated depreciation. At any
rate, he must support his family, and
if providently disposed, lay up some
thing Tor age and helplessness. Like
the railroad, he must take care of him.