Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-02-25
wREFCuED LEmIGH MINERS.
Their Wages Eaten Up by ExOThitant
Prices at Company Stores.
by telegraph to the Dlspatcl


HAzF1roN, PA, February 2f.-The
congressional committee continued its
inquiry here to-day into the miners
strike in the Lehigh coal region.
Thomas Campbell, vino keeps a general
store at Freeland, was the first witness.
lie testified that the company stores
charged - per cent. profit IN some cases
above the ordinary prices charged at the
individual stores. He knew this from
personal inspection Of miners pass
books at company stores. Witness
could not give any absolute data of the
profits charged by the company stores
at present did not think the profits are
as great now as then, as there Is more
competition now.
Thomas 4. Buckley, a miner and
Justice of the peace, was examined. He
thought that the average wages OF miners
in the Lebigh region was not over $50
month. In 1871 the average was 8
dav, and some miners could then make
81 and s. a day. The cost of producing
coal was then greater than DOW, and the
selling price greater. Witness believed
the men would go back to work at the
same rate OF wages as is paid IN the
Wyoming region. but could not say
whether they would accept the basis Of
the Schuylkill region or not. Witness
thought the strike was premature.
AFRO Pardee, one of THE largest coal
operators III the state, was sworn. Wit
ness came to HaZleton in 1888 as an
engineer to survey coal land, and has
been coal operator forty-three years.
lie was the first individual operator in
the region. Then only 10000 tons of
coal were mined year in this section.
Witness never owned any lands, but
leased coal lands from the Lehigh Val
ley Railroad Company; leases now
5000 acres, 1000 acres of which belong
to the railroad company. He pays the
Lehigh Valley Railroad Company -
cents ton royalty for mining coal on
its lands. Witness said he en-
Dloys over 1000 hands. When
asked the cost of mining a ton of
coal. the witness at first refused to an
swer, and fatty told the committee it was
none of It's business. but finally answered
the question. He said that exclusive of
ROYALTY, and not considering the interest
ON capital invested, it cost to mine and
put a ton Of coal on the cars $3.50. The
labor cost is over 81 a ton. Before the
strike miners wages were Sll.59 a week,
miners laborers $40, and general la
borers 80. 70 week. Witness could not
give the committee the items of expense
which made q ton of coal cost $3.50 The
real cause of the strike was the operators
refusal to deal or have any communica-
ton with the labor organizations.
1--WE will deal with our own en-
ployees, but never with those organiza-
tons" The operators were not asked
by the men as employees to deal with
them. Witness did not think the or
CARNATIONS had any right to come be-
tween the employees and the men. The
men were honest, working men.
but the leaders of these organizations
were mischievous rascals. There had
been sn organization of the operators to
limit the output of coal. Witness said
the testimony of the men yesterday was
not true, and this was shown by the fact
that his collieries had paid over $500, 900
in cash last year to their one thousand
arnplovqae