Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-09

WANTED tSituations). ..................Pag Page 10
WANTED Niiscellaneous). Page 10
make the miners keep up and support twice
over the company blacksmith shops. They
tax cent on every TON Of coal mined for
sharpening the tools OF the workmen. In
this way the men pay up to 81 a month
each to the companies. which would run
| the shops twice over. The companies put
their own men at the mines to weigh and
check the coal as IL comes out and the
plan is susceptible of tremendous abuse"
Views Of the Operators.
The views of the operators on the ques-
! tons at issue are, of course. different from
| those of the miners. A leading official of
the Consolidation Company expressed his
ideas on the subject after this fashion:
We would be only too glad to pay the
men 30 cents a ton IL such a thing were
possible. but 1t is not and # is only a ques-
ton Of running on a 10 cent basis or clos
Ing the mines until better times come The
/ men in this coal mining region have less
! cause TO be out on a strike than any work.
men in the country. The companies have
! always dealt fairly with the men. and have
| explained the condition of affairs through
] out. The history of the affair shows that
| my statement Is warranted. The miners in
this region are in the main an intelligent
| lot of men. They, however, partake of one
OF the most marked characteristics of
miners everywhere in their inability TO
| stand leering. The main body of the men
were never in favor of any strike but thew
nave been whipped and coaxed and jcered
INTO II by few hot-headed younsters led
| by outside agitators. Early in March the
miners themselves realized that the mines
would not be able to continue 10 nav IA
cents ton, and without any Suggestions
from the company the miners at Hoffman
met, and OF their own accord agreed 10
WORK Tor 10 cents ton. This meeting at
HOFFMAN was followed by similar ones at
l ha
action was taken.
| On March % the conference was held
between The operators and the companies.
and the companies then went fuIlr int
| the details of the necessity for making a
| cut 20 10 cents ton The miners there
| agreed TO the cut and the announcement
mar The price after April l should be 40
| cents ton was accepted by the miners Ali
| over the region. The companies made their
| contracts on the basis Of that scale and
| would certainly close the mines rather than
lose money by paying higher rate The
! new wages. as had been agreed on went
| into eject on April /. and for one month
] the men worked without any intina ton
10 the companies Of dissa tisfa ction Early
] In May, however. without word of warn
ing 10 the companies. the men in four
mines went out No demand was made
but the men simply quit work and gradu-
ally the miners In other shafts followed
their example. The whole question is that
the companies would like to but can't nav
80 cents a. ton. In other lines of labor
| thousands of men have been thrown out of
employment by the entire closing down of
works. We made a fair proposition TO our
! men,
1T was either shut the mines or work at
J lower wages. At 40 cents the men were as
SUI, I'd OF steady Enjoyment and an increase
| as soon as conditions justified IL. The men
at that time preferred to work for lower
wages to not working at all. Lately. how
| ever. they have changed their minds and
nave gone out. ana We look on them as men
dfSrharpan ha
employ. In that position we will hold no
conference or anything of the kind II they
desire to come back TO work they can do So
! and II not, there are undoubtedly plenty of
men IN these times who will be glad TO get
steady work at 81 day. We are I'm homes
our own men viii cone back however, as
! We believe they have simply been used as
tools by designing men,
SO far the other grievances of The
men are concerned they are of a most trivial
character The men are charged a cent a
tonsfor sharpening tools. which means four
or fve cents day, which Is much cheaper
than the men could get Il done themselves.
and Is also better for us. Ia that the tools
are always Kept Ia good condition, and no
part of check welghmen, They are ali
sworn officers of the law and are directly
responsible to the state inspector OF mines %
What the Working Miners Say.
Over 100 Of :he miners have stuck to the
companies through thick and thin. ana they
too. have their side. In going through The
Eckhart mine today found in che 81 the
rooms. begrimed with coal dust, and hard
at work. young man who has mat3a oui,e
name for himself in Ailegsny conntv
! politics. This was John Weston, and he
has not lost a day during all the trouble,
on, yes. I've stayed at work." said IVES
ton, I've probably lost a good mani
friends and been blackguaraed more than
airy candidate who ever ran for office but
the affair is matter Of principle with me.
ana l. mean TO stick IL out feel th;.:
when / accepted the reduction after the
! conference with The operators I entered
into contract with them to work at
that price, and l mean to fulan IL The
nam oooy OF the miners, ! believe. are not
In sympathy with this strike, and although
l am part Irish myself. I must say that
young fellows of that nationality are r..
sronsibie fer this trouble
These rnen have been pushed into the az
I fafr oy outside agitators for what purpose
heaven only knows. These outsiders came
| into the Region and commenced work with
out disclosing any plans for strike for 20
4 cents ton. Had they done so at first their
work would have stopped suddenly. as the
! men al that time had all accepted the re-
ddction as the best thing under the circum-
stances. and were prepared to stand by t.
! the wage business. They simply wanted
/ the men to Join the United Miners so that
all miners should stand together
| "Only afterward was the strike idea put
| Under the conditions surrounding the labor
market today look on a strike in this re.
/ gion as one OF the most suicidal things nos.
s:ble. | believe that a miner earns and
/ should receive 30 cents ton for his work
but even with the reduction. which 1 he
Heve was an unfortunate necessity. the
men were pretty well assured of stead,
! work at living wages
! "A miner can get out FIVE tons of coal a
! day. which would mean s. Many OF The
men, have their sons in the mines. who
J work half turns, and add largely to the
family's earnings. A strike here with the
miners in this condition bears an alIy
foolish appearance when the Pocahontas
mines are running full blast Men are no,
paid there by the ton. but by the car, and
they don't average probably as much a 70
cents "a ton. This would be bad enough II
they got their 30 cents, but they ion't
These men hardly see a dollar in money
/ from one years end to another. They are
n paid In scrip on the company's store and
are entirely in the grasp OF the operators
| Thousands Of those men would be only foo
glad to work for 40 cents a ton IN money,
or even 81 cents They would sweep into
this region on the first invitation, and the
| result would be deplorable. However. / am
in hopes our own men will come back
themselves. 7. c. N.