The Labor enquirer., 1884-07-19
BIeeding Them.

- "a lOilS lCttCi iOLu ltOChNdlCt n iOii1oAD
county, gives some disagreeable. details
of the treatment the miners receive at
the hands of their employers, and tells
of the cowed condition of the working
men,, The letter is too lengthy and full
of repetitions to be published entire,
but the latter part of it is given, as it
contains the main facts and will show
the degree of slavery to which present
systems have progressed:
at is. the man that is flying around
Rockvale every morning with his horse
and buggy that is trying to usurp the
power of crushing the workingman to
the dust of the earth. Yes, sir; it is the
man that is assuming to be superintend-
ent, yet never goes down one of the
mines to see whether there is little air,
or much air, or no air at all, or whether
there is no gas, or large quantities of gas.
A fine fellow to be superintendent! All
he knows is to be around at payday to
pick up his salary that has been dragged
out of the coal digger. l think this is
where the reduction ought to take place.
Men, how are we to cope with this mon
ster Let US have an understanding
and see what markets warrant reduc-
ton in the price of mining and at what
price they are selling their coal, and let
us put a stop to this wholesale slaughter
ing business of butchering a dollar here
and dollar there and a dollar all round.
Let us have word in the say So; let us
use all fair legitimate means in arguing
our points, and if we then fail we may
resort to harsher measures in the de-
struction Of, property. But Mr.. Savage
may say we are making good wages.
Allowing we are making good wages, we
are burdened with heavy offtakes.
When all, of the mines are running
good there will be upwards of 800 men
employed, all told ; and there is kept of
each man 81 per month for doctor, rs
cents per month off each digger for black
smith. In these two items alone there
are upwards of $1,000 taken from our
wages each month The company Is
houses are rented at $40 per month
during the winter months. and SO per
month in summer. Our powder costs us
S4 per keg, of which we use great deal
in blasting the solid. Our giant powder
which we use in blasting down roofs,
costs us As cents per pound, and oil $1.5O
per gallon. Then there is our fuse-eaps,
soap, paper and squibs. These are all
bought from the company so you see
there is at least one-third of our wages
| go back to the company; We have to
keep in repair our drilling machines
which costs, when new, from $40 to $2s
each, and our other tools such as shpvels
picks, sledges and wedges, to keep in
| repair. i think Mr.. Savage will agree
with me that it takes big wages to pay
big expenses. I think this will suffice
for the present. but now let us meet this
| uncalled-for reduction with determined
resistance and if we are forced into a
strike let us demand the $1.50 per ton
before we resume work, let us demand
the 81, the rs cents, the oil and cotton
that haye been taken from US. Men, let
US be united, as the heart of one man,
with will to demand and enforce our
rights, and let us give them to under
stand that the divine injunction is that
the laborer is worthy of his hire
| r. GA SECTION HAND"