The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-03-17
MINERS WAGES CUT.
Reduction Made All Along the
Line at Gilman.
IT IS ACCEPTED AS INEVITABLE.
Receiver Bryant Cuts Wages From the
Highest Down-Must Pay Expenses
--Reorgani1atiou Plan.

A general reduction Of the wages OF en-
pIoyes of the Seattle Coal and Iron Com
pany, from the vice president down 10 the
boys in the mines at Gilman, was ordered
yesterday by Receiver John II. Bryant,
and took effect Immediately. Though
there is some disconent at the reduction
among the mine employees. they have gem
erally accepted it as inevitable and no
trouble is anticipated. About 80 men are
affected
The reduction to the manual workmen
at the mine. skilled and unskilied, is 10
per cent all around, but the officers have
suffered much larger reduction. The
changes in rates were given by W. NJ.
FIaskey, a fireman who quit on Thursday
rather than accept the lower rates and
came to the city. as follows:
Miners in the slope, reduced from IS to
IS and 20 cents per car OF clean coal, ac-
cording TO location of breast; miners in
mine No. 4, cut from o. 20 40 and So cents
per car according to location of breast;
iaborers, from 81 so to Sl.35 per day; fire.
men, from S5i to $t5 per month: gangway
men, from s. to 81 30 per running yard of
coal; timDermen, from 81 10 to $l.S0 per
day.
Gen. Bryant stated the case as one of
simple necessity in explaining it to a Posi-
INTELLI6RScER reporter yesterday. saying:
The reason why / was appointed re-
cefver was that the mine was not even
earning enough to pay running expenses
and was running into debt. We have
debts in this city which our men have
simply eaten, as the coal they mined did
not sell for enough to pay their wages and
the stockholders have had to put up
money to make up the deficiency. The
company has not been paying interest for
some time. / am under heavy bonds to
make this property pay expenses. let alone
paying interest on the bond. and must
either do that or close the mine. have
made q very moderate reduction and
the wages paid at coal mines in
this district are higher than in any other
district in the country. The ques-
ton put TO the men was whether they
would work for less wages or have no work
at all. There are plenty of men who
would be glad to work for 81 day. IN fact
We have had applications from men who
offered to work for just enough to live on.
Men are working in the woods all around
Gilman cutting cordwoo for 81 q day and
We offer these men $l.S5 as the lowest
wages. All / expect to do is to produce
coal at a cost which will equal the selling
price, do not expect TO earn interest.
The reduction. too, is general; have dis
pensed with the auditor and superintend-
ent and have moved the offices to the Goa,
bunkers to save money. The officers have
suffered a reduction much heavier than
that of the mine employees.
mot only that, but the bondhoiders
propose 10 reduce their earnings. Under
the reorganization plan we propose to re-
duce the capital stock from s., 900 600 to
$2W0,000 and to reduce the amount of
bonds from $3.50, coo TO $l.OOO.00o. The
bonds were all paid for In cash. and
this means a reduction of 331s per cent.
in the earnings OF their capital,
while the miners only have a reduction of
10 per cent. These bondholders are not
rich men. but are many of them women
who have had $4,000 or $4,000 left them,
and depend on the interest on il to sup
port them and two or three children. If
they do not get their interest. which is
the wages of their capital, what are they
to live on?
The wages we have been paying are
more than enough 10 support the men. for
last month the men stopped work for
week while they spent al the saloons
s.. 600 of the Si2 900 paid them in gold
aud silver coin. They are not going TO
starve at the reduced wages while they
can do that at the higher wages. |
have told them that, If they think they
can get better wages elsewhere. they had
better go on with US in the meantime. and
they can leave without notice, and l will
give them a letter of recommendation. |
did that with one man today.
1T is true that We have a company
store, but II is solely for the accommoda-
ton of our men, and they are not COM
PEELED to deal there. Ii enables them to
get goods on credit when they could not
do so elsswh here. ana they can continue 10
get supplies when they are sick and pay
for them when they resume work. In
this way the account Is often against us.
-. = 4
that Is more than can be said OF the bond
holders, who are often workingmeu like
themselves who have Invested their saw
ings IN the bonds"
Though the reduction has been accepted.
there is much discomfort and grumbling
at it. which is voiced by Mr.. Flaskey in
the following interview:
Everybody is kicking and there is no
telling what will he the result. Many of
the single men are talking OF quitting
work, but married men with families have
the option of accepting the cut or starving.
and so. OF course, they Will work. ! don't
see how they can make a living. They
barely succeeded in making both ends
meet under the old schedule Two
married miners told me this morning
that they would have TO apply 10 the
c0Cnty commissioners for money with
WHICH 10 feed their families. You see the
mine Is only worked about iwo-thlrds OF
the time. and the men are only paid when
they work. This month the boys have
only got in eight and one-haif days. and
the mines are now again shut down.
IL the miners @ere permitted 70 buy
their groceries IN Seattle II would be dsh-r-
ent, but they are required 10 buy their
mea and al kinds of eatables a: the COM
pany's store. Ii they don't do tus they
lose their jobs. Whv. John DoSor. head
nsn on the gangways. snort time ago
ca me 10 Seattle aud bought a supply OF
provisions for as family. lie was imme-
l!aiely discharged but. it being his FRS;
otfeuse, he Vas taken back after be bad
promised not to be guilty nj such or nae