Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-08-05
woRss TEAM rnsEAED.
Land moaopoiy, Protected Mines
and Slavery In Pennsylvania

Land moa0P0iy, Protected Mines
and Slavery I'm Pennsylvania
Mr.. Henry George, acting rs special
commissioner for The North American
Rsvisso, has been making close personal
investigation OF the conditions OF labor,
especially mining labor, in Pennsylvania.
He has prepared series OF papers on this
subject, the first Of which appears In the
August number.
Mr.. George finds that Pennsylvania is
by nature great by favored state. Il is
'one-third larger than Ireland, and
within one-seventh as large as England"
II has population of 95 TO the square mile
against 1859 in Ireland and 4S4 in England.
1T may be doubted" says Mr. George,
'if there is, on the earth's surface, another
area of 5000 square miles, which, con-
sidering all things, ia better fitted by
nature TO yield large returns 10 labor. v
In addition TO such advantages PennHyl-
wanna has endeayored TO supplement the
gifts of the bouutiful mother, by in
voking the protection of paternai gov
ernment.n
To satisfy Pennsylvanla's plea for ''the
protection OF labor, the whole foreign COM
meroe OF what would otherwise have been
| the greatest maritime nation OF the world
i has been sacrificed, until now an American
ship Is becoming curiosity on the deep
SEQ; to give Pennsylvanlans what upon
their own showing Is a seant profit OF 90
cents per ton, the railways of the Pacific
states are compelled to pay s16 per ton
more for rails, while sections Of the coun-
i try that use no Pennsylvania coal must, 10
assure protection to Pennsylvania labor,
pay on the coal they do use a duty larger
than the cost OF mining It.
Still, the conditions OF labor in Penn.
sylvania ''are anything but satisfactory,
as Is shown 10 the most needless by the
constant reports of stril1es.n Some Of
these strikes occur 'tfor causes that seem
light, II not ridiculous" for instance,
one protractod strike which grew out Of
an edict that the miners should not keep
goats, and which, having boon ended by
the removal Of the anti. goat superinten
dent, has besn celebrated by local bare
in the song Of 'Hopkins and the Goats.
On this point MIR. George says;
Whatever may be thought OF tho policy o
strikes (and there seems to DO growing
feeling or their general impOllcy on the par
OF at least large sections OF Pennsylvania
workmen). the fact that they 30 ofton occu
shows anything but Just and wholesome
conditions In the relations OF labor. Mei
Il
strike for the sheer fun OF striking and evel
| foolish and reckless strikes, when the.
, occur In any number, Indicate chronic IT
rltation that can only proceed from rei
grievances
Next to agriculture, oalmining is til
greatest Pennsylvania industry. II EN-
ploya l40,0 persons-somewhat NOR
i than two-thirds of them in the anthracii
! mines, and somewhat loss than one. thin
in the bituminous mines. There arc tw
|, ways Of computing the pay for this wol
ono, taking the highest average wage
; of miners, without loss of time; the other
I taking what they arc actually able l.
! make in year, working when they hay
!, employment. Tho state 'Bureau of Ii
2 dustrinl Statistics" makes this compariso
Of "theoreticap and actual" wages, pc
i week, for 1884: