The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-07-13
THE BRAIDWOOD MINERS.

In the case OF the DraluWOOu miners We
witness the same spectlcle that Is presented
In about every other notable contest be.
tween capital and labor; to-wit that the
metropolitan press, while hypocritically
deplorng the hard case of the laborers,
defend the operators or capitalists by argu-
Ing that their action is really unavoidable
and justified On principles of common bus
lness prudence. In the case of Braidwood,
and all the Northern Illinois coal miners,
In short, the entire Chicago press is agreed
In alleging that the question is simply
whether the mines shall or shall not be
worked at loss to the mine owners or
operators The mild weather of last winter
so far reduced the consumption of soft
coal and depressed prices that, according
to the Tribune,
Goal mined In Northern Illinois has to
compete In the markets of the northwest
with the output of the Hooking Valley and
the Plttsburg mines. The coal that comes
from the east is of better quality than
that of Northern Illinois and is mined
cheaper. On an average Pittsburg and
Hooking Valley coal will sell In Chicago
at from 1910 to 1885 per ton while the
Illinois coal brings from SITS to 81. Min.
ing coal of an inferior quality at agreater
expense than their eastern competitors, the
| Illinois operators have TO sell at u
greatly reduced rates A business conduct,
ed under such circumstances can hardly DE
expected TO meet new difficulties and keep
up Its rates of wages.
If Hooking Valley coal, which costs at
least 70 cents ton for mining and 81 ton
freight, can be laid down proiitably in Chi
cago at $40, 1t Is hard TO see why Braid
wood coal, at a cost of 70 cents for mining
and 80 cents for freight cannot be sold in
Chicago at profit for Sl15 or Sc.
The truth Is, that when Illinois Goals
were worth $3.50 or So in Chicago, and
miners could earn $50 month, the oper-
atiors made such profits that In order to
keep their dlvidens down to 8 or 10 per
cent they watered their stock to double Its
original amount ald now, when the price
and output no longer yield such On reality
10 to 20 per cent dividends, they proceed to
bring up the arrearage by paying starvation
wages to the worKmen.
Three years ago, after series of ruinous
strikes and lockouts, delegates of the min
ers and mine owners east and west got
together and entered into an agreement
and compact that settled all questions of
wages for the future to mutual satisfaction
When an increase was demanded or re-
duction became imperative, the matter was
referred to an inter-s state conference, where
delegates from each side met and amicably
settled their differences. While this ar
rangemept was adh cred to, no disagree
ments, strikes or lockouts were heard of.
This peaceful and entirely just method
was broken up ayear ago, so far as the
Northern Illinois mine owners are concern
cerned, by their Withdrawing from the
league. Almost from that day trouble has
been the rule in the Northern Illinois
mines, while in those of Southern Illinois
and all the east covered by the league,
peace and good feeling has been uninter-
rupted.
The first movement of the withdrawing
mine owners, Of course, was a cut of
wages 1t first began by the Introduction
Of regulations by which the miners for the
first time were charged with the waste by
screenage, droppings, &c, and these were
soon followed up a direct cut of wages, so
that at Braidwood, at least where the
the miners had been earning $25 to $50 a
month, they were cut down to an outside
figure of SEQ, and the present trouble
arises from an attempted cut of from 10 to