The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-05-29
GIVE AID TO THE MINERS
THOUSANDS OF THEM IN DIRE NEED.
The Operators Refuse To Grant the Min
ers' Request For an Arbitration and
Close Doyyn the 8Iines-The Stu
alton Growing Serious.
Daily sentinel. Nav 24l

Messrs Horsfeld and John Gallagher. ap-
pointed at the Brazil meeting 10 solicit aid Tor
the locked-out miners OF Clay county, are in
the city. They visited the courthouse yester-
day and through the assistance of Mr.. Bud
Swift received numerous subscriptions and
many words OF encouragement. Mr.. Horsfeld
described the situation among the miners as
very grave. There are between 100 and 1880
block coal miners out Of employment in Clay
county alone. Most OF these miners are heads
Of families and fully hall Of them are in want,
or soon viii be.
The charitable people OF indianapolis can
not but sympathIze with these men and every
mans sense OF Justice viii tell him that the
cause Of the miners is a most righteous one, for
the operators of the mines have been most I'M
reasonable and have shown q fixed determine
ton TO carry the day at whatever the cost
In explaining the cause OF the lockout, Mr..
Horsfield said: I'VE are asking simple justice
between man aud man, nothing more. We
ask s. cents per ton Tor mining coal IN summer
and 90 cents in winter. These are the prices
agreed upon between the miners and operators
ID other states. Even at these prices a man can
earn only bare existence. But the operators
insist cutting down the scale 10 20 cents for
summer and - cents in winter-l5 cents below
the scale.
The operators admit that during March and
April they made So cents per ton clear, net
profit, when the ninety-cent scale was in force,
and that, too, when they were practically get
ting only summer prices for their coal. for the
winter had been mild and the demand for coal
very small. As a sample of the profits ad-
mitted By the operators, there is one mine that
hoists 600 tons per day. The capital of that
company is 5000, though 1t recently sold for
$4,000. At the admitted profit OF 9 So cents
per ton this mine, hosting 600 tons per day,
would earn 800 per cent. on its capital each
year, and its annual profits would be consider
ably more than the market value of the mine.
So that the statement that the operators can {
afford to pay higher scale for mining is ab-
surd.
Another thing which shows the utter falsity
OF the operators claim, that they cannot afford
10 pay more than 20 and 70 cents, is the action
o. the operators of bituminous mines who,
according to their own statement, make but
50 cents per ton profit. They offer the men a
scale but D cents below that of last year Yet
block coal operators. who made 3-5 cents per
ton at the old scale, insist upon a reduction OF
Is cents per ton.
The operators will listen to nothing hut sub
mission TO their terms. The miners have offered
and even begged for arbitration, but the opera
tors will not grant it"
Messrs Horsfeld and Gallagher will remain
IN the city for several days, and the people of
indianapolis should contribute literally to
their cause. The situation in Clay county is
most distressing and thousands of women and
children are without the barest necessities of
existence. Contributions may be sent to THE
SENTINEL, or 10 J. 4. Grouse, Hooserville,
Ind, box s.