The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1893-06-21
THE COST OF COAL.
IMPORTANT COMMUNICATION
The Cost of Producing Coal dose
not Exceed One Dollar
per Ton!
A Dreadful Story of Wrongs and
Oppression.
THE PLUCK-ME STORES.

Oppression.
THE PLUCK-ME STORES.
You have often been told of COM
pany stores. "Pluck-me, stores" is
the name the miners call them. The
anthracite region is full of them.
The large companies do not operate
them, however, but the small ones
and individual operators. The oper-
alton is in direct violation of law, but
as told you before, the companies
have the machinery which should en-
force the law in their grasp. Com
pany stores have been carried on in
this region for years, and I predict
that they will until the government po.r-
choses the coal lands By the right of emf
nent domain, and operates them IN the IN
terest of the people. There is no secret
system employed to shield the COM
panies from prosecution in carrying
on stores. 1t is not necessary; no one
will enter proceedings against them.
The companies own and rent houses
to the workmen. The rent is not any
higher than that of others in the
region, and it is often lower. The
companies will violate any law if it
is to benefit the miners The live up
to no law incompatible to their in
terests, or if it proves barrier to
greed they never pay any attention
to it.
CHILD LABOR.
The question of child labor is now
agitating the minds of the leading
thinkers of the world; we have it in
full force. Could you but visit our
''breakers'' and see the little boys
drudging like slaves in an atmosphere
of great unpleasantness, you could
form an idea of the Importance of the
question. No one but he who goes
through the crucifying ordeal can
picture it in the mind. What would
you think of parents who would send
an eight year old boy to the ''breaker"
to work for forty cents a day? That
is about what you receive when you
enter first, but do not blame them;
poverty compels the deed. Think of
a little eight or nine year old tot
arOusing from warm bed at or 6
o'clock in the morning. with the
thermometer below zero, and Shout
dering dinnerpail as large as himself,
starting for the "breaker." A cold
dismal structure is his home for the
day. The sunshine of happiness an
unknown visitor: his comrades, like
himself, poor ignorant and mischiev-
GUS boys: his tutor burly brute who
keeps rod in his hand and strikes
several blows for each offence. We
talk of Siberia, but the life of slate
picker is Siberia as bad as anything
in Russia. Deprived of an education;
dwarfed in body; corrupted by vice of
all kinds; doomed to slavery for eter-
nifty; that is the lot of the poor
'breaker boy" The aristocracy
charge us with drunkenness but never
help us to rise above it. Is it any
wonder that we have criminals and
ignorance in our midst? The unjust
system of government is to blame for
most of it. l have been in great
many breakers and this very day con-
versed with little fellows who were
not 10 years old. The ways of the
world are queer indeed. To give you
rough estimate of the number en-
ployed inside and out is all that can
do. 1 counted 80 boys in one breaker
short time ago, who, knew, were
not II years old. Take that as the
average and we have: 30 x 4OO-12, 900
boys under II working outside. The
same may be taken as to the inside,
which makes "a 900 boys wasting a
life to sustain a life, and to create
millions for coal barons. The law on
this subject is:
"ARTICLE TX. No boy under the
e16N VI AOuA ONSh yNAAC CId11 OC
ed or be permitted to be in any mine
for the purpose of employment there
in. Nor shall boy under twelve
years be employed or permitted to be
in or about the outside structures or
workings of a colliery for the purpose
of employment, but it is provided,
however, that this prohibition shall
not affect the employment of a boy Of
suitable age in an office or in the per-
Torrance of clerical work at COL
liery.
SEC. 2. When an employer is in
doubt as to the age of any boy or
youth applying for employment in or
about cOlliery or mine, he shall de-
mand and receive proof of the said
lawful employment age of such boy or
youth by certificate from the parent
or guardian before said boy or youth
shall be employed.
SEC. 3. If any person or persons
cOntravene or fail to comply with the
provisions of this act in respect to the
employment of boys or young male
persons, or if he or they shall conniye
with or permit others to contravene
or fail to comply with said provisions,
or if a parent or guardian of boy or
young male person make or give a
false certificate of the age of such boy
or young male person, or knowingly