Frostburg mining journal., 1880-07-03
TROUBLE At LONAOONLNG.

The drivers in the old Homecoming
Mine went on strike Wednesday on
account of one of their number
being discharged. The discharged
drivers name is Close. In bringing
down trip of four loaded cars some
Of the brakes flew out of the racks,
and the cars got away and some of
them were smashed up. The inside
boss gave the driver the option of
either paying half Of the expense of
the damage done or leave the en-
ployment of the company. He re-
fused to pay any of the damage, and
therefore was discharged. The other
drivers refuse to work until Close is
reinsta ted, claiming that he did all
that was in his power to stop mis- trip,
aud therefore was not responsible for
the damage. The New Lonac on
ing drivers also struck, claiming that
it is as much their fight as the Old
Mine drivers. That mine is also idle.
They hold that they will not be re-
sponsible for damage done to horses
or cars, asserting that all that can be
looked for Of them is to be as careful
as they can with the company's prop
erty. The above is the drivers side
Of the question.
The Superintendent states that he
has had to employ two carpenters all
season to fix up cars that have been
broken this way, and that the COM
pany has been at great expense in
buying horses-a great number get
ting hurt by the carelessness of the
drivers. Therefore he ella inns the
right to discharge a driver or any
one else he pleases for damaging the
Company's property but he asserts
that no man can be discharged by any
of the Company officials without his
consent, and that he would only do
so where the cause was carele ssness
on the part of the driver. He also
claims the right to put any driver on
the cut off for period Of time in
case he hurts his horse or breaks up
cars, for the purpose Of making an
example to others TO be more car eful.
But the moment he does these things
his work is thrown idle. Horses can
lie hurt, cars broken, and he has no
other alternative but submit and let
itgo on. He has finally come to the
conclusion that if he has not the
power to run the Company mines he
is a useless bill Of expense, for if the
driver is to run it there is no use for
him.
This is the Superintendent's side of
the question. The miners in the
employed in those mines
are thrown idle, and thereby lose
their time.
There seems to be good reason on
both sides of this unfortunate contro-
versy for the stand each has taken.
Where to draw the line between the
privileges of the operatives and the
prerogatiyea of the operators is the
problem which vexes all attempts to
arrive at exactly the right conclusion.
A little less strenuousness on one side
and more forbearance on the oLher
would work wonders. Carelessness or
wantonness is not to be excused, but
some allowance should be made for
the fact that these instances are
frequently accidental. They cannot
always and invariably be one or the
other. Hence, there should evi-
IDENTIFY be some standard established
by which these matters could be set
tied without resort to extreme talk or
the enforcement of arbitrary measures
on the part of either.
THOMAS Brown,
Inspector of Mines.
July I'd.
Twas again on the ground to-day,
and find the situation unchanged.