The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-11-29
STARVING ENGLISH MINERS.
PIIIFUB RESULTS or THE LABOR
WAR Nv the COAE RkGIoN.

| described In q letter to THE SUN pending
struggle In the English Midlands which rank ed
as the greatest labor war the world had seen.
Several weeks later that struggle ended in a
drawn battle. Both masters aud operatives
| got tired at length OF the useless test OF en-
DURANGO. the vain sacrifice OF trade. and the
cruel cravings OF empty bellies. They patched
| up compromise, and the cotton trade OF
Manchester and Lancashire has been strug-
! Cling ever since TO regain its former position
among the worlds producers
| 1have Just been again TO tho Milands TO see
| the effects OF more disastrous struggle. OF
greater sacrifices. OF more terrible suffering
| than tho big cotton strike could show The
cable has given you a fragmentary history u
this great coal war. / have referred briefly
| from week to week to its more striking fea-
lures In The SUN's cable letter. but 1t is DIM
cult to had language in which to give an ade-
| duate idea OF the scope. the significance. the
| deadllness Of the blight which It has brought
upon the public welfare Of Great Britain. It
is no longer a mere strike or lockout. II Is the
greatest domestic calamity which has afflicted
the country In this generation.
1t IL not worth while to review ut any length
both sides OF the dispute. The fight may be
over by the time this letter reaches New York,
for both sides are hopeful OF n settlement MS
the result OF the Governments Intervention
and Lord Rosebery's skiltul peacemaking
next Friday. The facts In n nutshell are these:
Early In the year many Of the most i'm rortant
coal owners made contracts for a years sup
ply Of coal to big consumers and middemcn at
prices which proved too low to yield any
profit Many suffered actual loss on every
6Wns OF coq %n1 the GGSl
has been Sitcn, sSrcisssly assorted, but Ut
which was made three years ago. The men,
through their federation, refused to submit.
They affirmed that it was impossible to live on
ago. the long lockout began. Fully G0O.Oc0
men and boys were thrown out OF work at tho
outset Tho number now Idle by reason OF
the dispute itself and the cutting of of the
les and other industries affected. It Is impos.
siole to estimate accurately. 1t mounts far
The issues weeks ago were figured down to
tion on the trade axiom that they could not
raised the effective battle cry. "A fight f"r a
living wage" There the deadlock remains at
this writing Tho points in dispute amount
;, should the workers be made to pay or share
owners have entered into And
The lockout is . direct pccunary advantage
to the owners rs long as It continues in this
way. AS long as their colieries are idle, by
reason OF labor troubles they are relieved of
all obligations under their Improbable con-
tracts These contracts run until next sum.
mer. II would tie better from the owners
point Of view, to keep their mines closed until
these contracts expire. rather than resume
work on any but their own terms. am speak
outIut is taken by the big contractors. These
are the ones whicn have been most determined
W w hSepng the Sh % Of tho
able to resist the temptation Of fabulousy high
prices foT coal. and nave taken their men back
highest pressure and are turn Ing out twice or
ever four times, their usual output:
hAn ri nj hall
made In this way. In one case near Sheffield
the owner OF a.emall min- had a great heap OF
waste. which hn1 recn accommodating for ears.
lie has sold all this within few weeks at
mands in ordinary times. His profit amounts
to nearly S2jO.uOO When coal reached $40
old rate OF wages, employed additional men.
and by working them IN large shifts. without
an hours idieness out Of the twenty,iour, no
pockets about $4,000 daily profit 10y this on
GRAFTON. And now no feels a-grieved because
nanZa in the shape OF y - Ter cent. advance II
their raw. They will get 1t unless the general
light comes to AN end this week.
II Is strange that We hav' heard little or
nothing yet from tho people upon whom the
pressure must be getting very heavy-The big
consumers. The railroads, the gas maknr-.
the big manufacturers. the mdulemcn. have
have leSrn"d Most nro SO r M tnS
great quantities Of fuel are prudent enough 10
t kesp ssGsr9i weeks supply aways on hand in
must he nearly exhausted Icy now. We know
that the great iron foundres have shut down.
Establishments All the railroads have not only
lost enormously in receipts the figures
TO more more" tan slGuNGS. 1000 o " bur "H't t6ry
have no fuel to heat stations porters'
lodges. the foot warmers used in the cars, &c. !
Most lines have made material reductions in
train services, and II the fight should continue |
III the end OF The year GassenGer 'ranie in
pended. Before thar crisis was reached. how |
ever, there would undoubtedly DO q general |
OF holders. and then the coal owners would 10 !
ablet pay the rate OF wages demanded. which |
they would be- glad to do.
but what H. "A living wage in England to- |
day There Hes the crux OF the whole mat !
ter. One would suppose that the principle !
miners would find universal acceptance. 1t /
circle whore one would ext ect it to lie raised |
on hi Rher banner than the Golden Rule. The |
preachers 9irelEi9n. the lea ;ers OF all the great |
discussed It, and have failed t. endorse il. |
The occasion was conference held yesterday |
ster. in the Jerusalem Chamber Westminster
Abhey. for the purpose OF considering tho iu-
luton affirming that in the opinion OF this
o9nisTSMGfe me PrnCPI,S Of The mGHtenan@e
nized as ~ essential condition 81 the settle:
ment OF labor disputes Bat the Dean Of
to VOTE" lie nrSSe 70 T nHdt Ra i
DO taking sides In tho pending dispute.
Inc strike IN the coal mining districts WAS
presenting difficulties to the carving on Of |
other industries. and CAUSING the Eeenest dis
tress throughout England. The question was
whether they could learn anything which
would point TO means that might 10 taken to
end these social wars between employees and !
employed. lie greatly DOUBTED whnthcr III"
mere carrying OF resolutions Gy a show of !
hands would he OF any weight at an. The res
olutlons which appeared upon the HEeuda
might he subjects for discussion. hut he felt |
disnclined to put them at a meeting which |
outsiders might say was a packed meeting.
There were many protests against this Iosi- |
ton. The Bishop of Rochester declared that |
the resolution merely set W tho greatest OF
all Christian principles. What they were con-
siderIng were Christian principles rather than
economic laws, Would anybody who dealt /
with the question he prepared ~ assert tho /
contrary I" those words-to say that IN settling
great disputes, involving the interests OF no
600 homes, they were to dismiss altogether
any thought about maintaining u standard If .
decent liyingf II So he might have uu lau.t
TO md with his economic science INT no had T.
great fault TO Ind with his Christianity. They
were not asking Tor any 01haud compulsory
tett!ement or enforcement Of what Wa cal. et
: living wage" What they said VIZ that -
Christian men they regarded ~ a. th"IF
bounden duty to assert am! reas~"rt ~" inc
plo mat standard Of decent liv"E WAS