The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1893-11-24
Cox, Rev. Beattie. Gen. Pope an(
Father Prior
THE COAL QUESTION.

1t is evident that the question Of
control of the worlds fuel supply. says
the St. Panl Pioneer Press. presents
increasing difficulties with the in
crease of demand, while supply re-
mains subject to the pleasure of the
owners of coal fields. The United
States is not the only, it is not even
the worst sufferer by this form of mo-
nopOly. The immense strike which
has just been terminated in England
by the intervention of the govern
ment. had it's roots in the same soil.
The mine owners proposed reduction
of wages, and the workers refused to
accept. For some months $50, 900 coal
miners have been out of employment,
and they and their families Obliged to
subsist on such contributions as they
received from sympathizers. The cost
of the struggle has been something
frightful. The sacrifice .of wages, it
is estimated, has reached $4,000, 900.
If to the bill are added the indirect
damages to all kinds of business, it
seems very conservative figure that
puts the total cost of the strike at not
Tar from $13O,OOO,OOO. The whole of
this, it is to be observed, fell on the
workingmen and the outside public.
1t is believed that the mine owners
he oofn CT ha
decreased output of coal forced up
the price correspondingly. 1t was
fight in which they had nothing to
lose and could wait the outcome with
equanimity.
The same thing has begun in this
country. Whether the new combine
which is said to contemplate control
of all anthracite properties and all
the coal carrying roads has actually
stepped into power yet or not we do
not know. But strike is in progress
on the Lehigh Valley, and it bears
every mark of having been deliberate
ly precipitated by the employers. To
stop the mining of coal or to stop the
carrying of it to market, is sure way
of putting up the price and adding a
few millions to profits. If this can
be done by cutting down wages, OF
precipitate a disagreement that will
throw lot of men out of employ.
ment, then there is gain at both
ends. In fact, we find IN this bust
ness what can be true only where
there is complete monopoly of pro
duction, that is, that itmay be in the
interest of the employer to provoke ;
strike, and that the losses of it, in
, stead of being shared by the TIVE
, parties to the disagreement. are con
centrated upon one of them. If the
trouble IN the Lehigh valley regior
should spread, as there are rumor:
, that it will, so that employees on othel
, roads would go out when ordered tt
handle freight transferred to them BY
the offending company, then we nigh
have a large share of the business O.
| the country subjected to serious inter
, ruption and the people obliged to foo
enormous losses, al. for the benefit o
, the greedy combine that sat still anC
: laughed while its own refusal to dt
: Justice brought sacks of gold to it,
/ feet. 1t is an extraordinary thins
!, that any laboring men should lenC
themselves to the plan Of this comb
nation by striking just when it want
, them to strike in order to make
scarcity in the coal market ant
shove up the price.
| The Pioneer Press time gives the out
} lines OF the agreement which ha
been reached in England between EN-
, ployers and employees, by which
board of concilia ton has been ere
ated, which is to pass upon the diff