Telegram-herald., 1886-08-30

owned ala .D4lf4tr4 tf rlL- ll-t---11. /
Ihsfs have been attempts before nov % +
get ill 0f this peralcl.ls practices. which 1
eats the yefy sii4ls oaL of lle t9iilng I
masses iA tie coal regions 0t Psnusyi- I
gauls. bat ultl lately llere h4s been 10 4
persistent AMI reasonably effective al 4
tsck "a ths sglL oometms ago The I
Fllladzlpl.a Times sailed into tie com- /
raalss Ia rog =. sts ie. bar seems 30 have /
trop. 81 tie maE.sr.
rLls system leeIs to bs described 70 I
F be fails appreciated. IL Is tie universal /
custom tnat mining supplies powder, /
fuses. OIL, coltoo. etc. must be bought Il
the company. AS the miners put Il: IF
you - elsewhere 60 bay p0sder, you
must - elsewhere o. buru T." And It
seems g. 10 q universal practice FOR the
company lo charge tie miners from
twenty 10 one hundred per cent more
than the ordiuay prices. The great cor
pOrations Ike the Reading and Lehigh
Valley companies have gwen countenancs
% the saying THAI Lions do not catch
mice, they are too busy with larger ex-
tostlons O. dabbls IN stores. With these
exceptions, however, the company, or as
tie miners put lt, tie -plucS-me' store
system is general Ia the Penney ivanla
coal regions. The "pluek-me' store Is
not 81 says kept by the company, bat Is
sometimes farmed out or conceded TO
separate firm IN which the supefiuten-
dent and other nls aibeFs OF the operating
company Owl interests.
These .pluck-ms" stores well deserve
the names the miners have gwen them,
the prices charged ia item running from
50 TO 100 per cent above ordinary retail
prices, and probably averaging from %
to 40 per cent. Quality, too, Is some
times IN inverse relation TO price. Charg
ing ordinary rates alone would render
these stores immensely profitable, but
charging. AZ they ID, IL Is no wonder they
are looked upon by companies as no IN
considerable portion Of the profits Of
mining. Indeed, some OF the companies
that run these stores are able 10 sell coal
at a qnal ter TO half cent per bushei
cheaper than the operator who has none.
There is no apparent compulsiOn III deal
ing with these stores. but II exists never
theless, and that very etfectually. Tue
operators doubtless maintain that the
men are free 70 buy where they please,
and that they Only establish these stores
for tho convenience Of their employees,
bu. this Is not true Ia the hrst place
the company owns the land OF the village
and no other store Is allowed to be set
up; aud, second, as the miners are
paid only once month, and
that two or three weeks after
the mouth, (as declared to be-
true by HENRY GEoRGE) they are seldom
able TO purchase elsewhere. Ia addition
70 this It Is generally understood that the
men must make their purchases at the
stores, aud If any man fails to do SO he
vail receive hint from one Of the bosses,
or at tie end OF the month be quietly
told that his services are no longer re-
T quired. HESaY GEORGE relates an IN
stance Of this oppression. He says
miners wife 10 Xix county brought
basket with her into the company store.
The store-keeper took occasion to raise
the D. q os the basket. aud, finding there
purchase made al another store, her
husband was the next day discharged
without any explanation.
A similar system Of holding back
portion Of the wagss paid to wage work
ers is In vogue IN Michigan both by
mining and lumbering and mill compan-
les Ii Is the store order system in its
action Of grinding down already poorly
paid workmen, andis similar IN effect to
that prevailing 10 the coal regions Of Penn
sylvsuia. The company pays the men
portion or al q all their wages in orders
on stores, which ara taken by the store
keeper at their par value. The company
frequently owns the store, but more gen
orally farms it out. Exorbitant prices
are charged, and for a dollar order the
workman Is frequently not able to pur-
chase the goods be could obtain for sew
enty cents mad ne the cash to trade else
where
All these systems are villalnous, blood
sucking burdens to the workingmen.
The companies who conduct them are
leeches who sap the life and prosperity
/ Of their men. Poverty and discomfort
always reign where they exist, s0d they
are 4 constant menace to the peace Of
the country by their influences IN promot-
ing IN the laborer sullenness, hatred for
capital, bitter strikes, and not unfre-
qusntly anarchy. The Molly Nc
Gnirs's" we're sD outzrowth Of this op-
J. preston. and there will always be trouble
, while the pesnicious sJstems are allowed
20 coutinue. The remedy is PLAN, Il is
legislation. Let the Torkingmsn send
no r-preseutrtvs 90 the Legislature who
rill not promise % cast ms vote to wIpe
ont the store orier system.
newspapers AND REFORM
tssscaiity bas been running rampant IN
the large cities lately ant the news
papers bsvs been ts-rssiBs o1t tha ras-
csis Tbs newspapers we're largely In