Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1892-10-03

Opportunity to Live.
In his statement before the New York
investigating committee, Mr.. Mcleod as
serted that the regular charges on every
ton of coal mined by the Philadelphia
and Reading Coal and Iron Company
We're; Royalty, 30 cents; interest, 25
cents; transportation, 81 70; handling Is
cents; total expense of $2.45, with less
than 40 cents worth of labor. To this
must be added the labor, cost and the
profits for invested capital and the
amount is the selling price of coal as it
tiuctuates according to the supply and
demand for it-an unfavorable market
must be at the expense of either or both
of the two factors in it's producton-la-
Dor and capital.
According to statement made by Mr.
Corbin in 1888, tn, labor cost is less than
20 per cent. of the selling price of coal.
Monopoly teaches that the only hope
for an increase in wages is by increasing
coal prices, to the disadvantage of other
workmen and other industries. A por-
ton of the consumers buy coal by the
pallfull, follow ash wagons to scrape for
refuse coal, while interested gentlemen
are discussing the restriction of the out
put and the overproduction of COAL
There is no overproduction of coal.
We are not producing enough to meet
the demands of the people. But being
burdened down with excessive charges
1t Is placed out of reach of many anx-
lous consumers. 1t is not necessary to
increase the price of coal in order to-
raise wages. A reduction in the charges
for royalty and the toll would leave
larger margin for labor and capital and
besides increase the consumption of
coal,
1t appears unjust that the landowner
should receive as much royalty as the
miner who cuts the coal. If this is
wrong, there must be some remedy for
It, Calling it wrong will not remedy it.
And the question occurs, what are you
going to do no about it?
We reason this way: An increase in
royalty or toll will reduce wages.
A reduction in royalty or toll will in
crease wages or the consumption of coal.
Competition among landowners will re-
duce royalty. A tax on land values only,
that is the single tax, will produce com
petition. This competition must open
new fields of employment at more favor
able terms to labor and capital lessen
competition among workmen and in
crease the reward for labor.
When a tax is collected from the value
of land, the owner will endeavor to find
some one to use it in order to paw the
tax. Unlike a tax on houses or breakers,
it will stay where it is put and cannot be
shifted. A tax on breakers or machin-
cry must be put on the consumer unless
he is already paying what the traffic
will bear, otherwise it will be considered
an expense and deducted from the
wages.
If the miner takes any interest in the
land question, he will find that it
is very closely connected with the
fundamental question of getting living
He will see that this royalty which is
given to landlords lowers wages and de-
prives the state of its proper source of
revenue in supporting municipal and
county government.
lie will see rents raised, price of goods
increased, manufactures crushed in
order to make up this deficit for some
autocratc landlord, who is ready to
shout for militia at the first signs of dis
content among the people. 1t probably
would be interesting to ask-why is it
that those landlords can exact SO high
tribute as 80 or 40 cents on a ton of
coal, while they expect miner to face
danger, fear poverty, to be haunted by
want and the fear of want, for smaller
recompense.
A very unfair distribution of the re-
suits of this industry; but to be plain, it
is no better than can be expected under
the conditions, nor no better will it ever
be under the same conditions.
Wages in any industry are fixed, not
by the value of the product, but by what
labor can get at any other opportunities
hot ,,,inht ha nnanaH 70, It :. ~
difference between what labor is worth
and what they are paying for it that
makes millionaires out of capitalists.
The question of raising wages resolves
itself into: How can the opportunities
for labor be increasedP To reduce wages
to the point of starvation; shut out all
opportunities from labor so that he who
has employment to give will find droves
of men begging for work at any terms
which will yield the means of bare
subsistence.
Don't jump to the conclusion that you
can solve this by restricting immigration.
1t is false light held out to deceive
workmen in order to think something,
to say something or to divert their at
tention from the real evil. Should they
ever feel disposed to do something to
take advantage of the benefits, they will
see the light promptly extinguished by
some Christian gentlemen, who feel that
they have the license to preach charity
and practice inhumanity.
There. is more talk to-day of keeping
out the pauper labor of Europe than
there was thirty, forty or sixty years
ago-simply because in those days land
was to be had for nothing all over the
country, and to-day it is practically
all monopolized.
The more laborers come to this country
from Europe or that are born in the
country, the more difficult it will be
henceforth to get a living. Wealth will
be increased with increase of population
and labor-saving machinery, but wages
will be reduced. There is more facility
by machinery for getting coal out of the
ground, preparing it for shipment and
transportation than in 1875 when wages
were high, but these advantages accrue
more and more to monopolies and make
it harder for the miner and merchant to