Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-03-25
LABOR MATTERS.
ACard From Mr. Van Fossen.

To the Public:
We notice an action taken by the Trades
Assembly of Yesterdays meeting placing a
bovcott upon our mine at SlacktOwn. In
Justice to ourselves and miners we will
state the matter 10 that honorable body in
the right light. and we feel sure if they had
taken steps TO investigate the matter, as a
body of impartial men, such as they should
be. they would have acted differently.
Firstly. the miners union claim that we
are not paying the district price, which IS an
untruth Secondly, in the same edition OF the
paper the Trades Assembly boycott us for
''some irregularity in slack" There is
no irregularity in slack either, so the report
from the Coal Miners Union is incorrect,
published either through ignorance or to do
us harm. Ever since our men entered this
union they have taken advantage Of the
fact by giving Us all the trouble possible,
going so far as TO discharge men who
worked outside Of the mines, at the tipple;
and. worst Of all. not filling the cars TO an
honest measure-where we should have
received l4O bushels clean coal we
only received -. This statement
is taken from the city weigh scales, and
can be easily proven. called the Bank
Committee together asking them TO place
this last matter before their union, and
nave lulS lIOuUlt duluNltu. 10 With AhNN
paid no attention. The bOokkeeper in the
Office demonstrated with one Of the COM
mittee on the fact Of their not attending 10
it. together with this remark. that IF the
union would not help us out Of our difficul-
ty. we would be compelled 10 close our
minds and quit business saying further
that we had man who was going 10 place
the matter before the Union at their next
meeting. The committee could not have
wished the trouble investigated. for on the
following Monday (this happened on Sat
urday) they waited upon me. saying that
they heard they We're 10 be paid by
weight" To which | returned them this
message: Go back into the mines and work
as usual until | ascertain what has been
said by the parties in question. One man
allowed the Blue birds will soon begin 10
sing with which they all quit the mines.
Was that a strike. Did ! notify anyone
that | intended mining coal by weight!
This habit Of coming out, demanding this
or that, was becoming tires0me, and when
this occurred resolved | will not be an
nOyed any further and refused to reinstate
these same miners To-day ] have six
miners engaged, and am paying them two
cents per bushel, Notwithstanding the bold
advertisement Of the local Coal Miners
Union Is il right TO compel the home
peddling mines 10 pay more for
mining coal, than outside mines who
can ship coal TO our city, delivered
here cheaper than we can have il dug at
our mines For instance, here is man
without any investment in either coal land
OF labor who can buy coal from these out
side mines. handled on the cars and re
failing it, realize neat profit, thereby
making il impossible for us to compete
them-which will eventually close up the
home mines entirely. this is the use of
coal miners unions, 10 drive out home pro
duets and home labor. fail 10
see the benefit Of them. Another fact
and then ! will close The President Of
this same union. after fully understanding
both sides of this trouble, said positively
it could not be called strike, yet is a
party TO this same advertisement. which
claims our men 10 be on a strike for Dis
trict price Bah TO such an organization.
leave the question to every fair-minded
union man III the City of Wheeling
should the coal operators not pay
their miners by weight, whether
shipped to the city by railroad.
or shipped by wagons We sell
our coal by city weight the law requiring
us to give eighty (S0l pounds OF coal to a
bushel. and we must buy our coal from the
miner at the same rate. in the same meas
ure. or can the business exist. To make a
long story short | would ask the coal min
ers' union. why do YOU make a distinction
between home peddlng mines and outside
mines. giving the latter the preference,
thereby throwing out home mines and home
labor, Is this unionisn.
J.B. Van FOssEN.