The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-06-22
GRIEVANCES OF DIGGERS
What They Say About the Vicious
'Pluck-Me-Store" System.
Star City Miners Out Again-Two Regi.
ments of Troops on the Way to Punk
sutawney, Pa, to Suppress Riots.

night. While they do not say 1t in 50
many words. there is doubt that they
will reconsider their action of last Satur-
day and vote TO accept the Columbus
scale. The delegates from Dugger, Sulh-
van county, whence came the resolutions
To continue the strike and calling for
President Dunkerlys resignation, are here
instructed to offer vote Of thanks to Ma
tional Vice President Penna and to vote
for the restoration of President Dunkerly
both of whom signed the Columbus scale.
1t is not improbable that the miners OF
the State will endeavor to have the special
laws governing mining contracts enforced
At the mass meeting of block coal miners
at Brazil, yesterday, resolution was in
troduced denouncing the system of intimi-
dation of the employees of a company to
buy all their goods at the company's store.
One miner wants TO amend the resolution
TO instruct the committee that Was TO wait
upon the operators to insist that the men
should be free to buy where they pleased.
but the chairman, ex-Representative An
derson, said that it was sufficient for the
present occasion to express denunciation
of the system, and that 1.-The enforcement
of the law was to be attended TO after
ward" The law is very explicit in pro-
NiuluS thdb biAC CAlPiOycc chdA AON 10 W
creed into patronizing the company store.
but the Brazil Block Coal Company. which
is the monopoly company Of the block
fields, has been very audacious in its poll
icy of forcing the men to deal at its store.
Usually the scheme of company is to
give miner good or bad place in the
mine as he buys or refuses to buy from the
.'pluck-me'' store, but in some districts the
men are plainly told that they must buy at
the particular store. One of the items OF
larger profit of the store is in the sale OF
powder. There are mines where the men
are charged as much as $3.50 keg for
powder that costs the company but 30
cents or 81 at the outside. There are other
mines where il Is sold TO the men at $L5O.
Some time ago the men at a mine in the
southern part of the State insisted that
the extortion in the sale of powder was a
matter for consideration of the joint griev-
ance committee of the State organizations
of miners and operators. but the latter
avoided the subject by insisting that it was
a question of merchandise and not wages.
The men often complain that the general
public does not understand these matters
and does not know that in many mines.
especially where the use Of a great deal of
powder is necessary, the men net but about
40 cents a ton, instead of so cents. the
scale price. The men have to buy the
powder and oil and pay for the black
smithing Of tools, and in few mines does
this cost to the men per ton amount TO less
than 15 cents. A keg of powder An some
mines will get out not more than eleven
tons of COAL so that if the miners pay $50
a ton for the explosive and receive but s660
| for the COAL 1t will be seen that the miner
ba Sbn rlxyh half car on
the one item. At no time is it sold for less
than $l.5O keg, but in some mines a keg
will mine considerably more than eleven
| tons of coal. 1t is a fact that some COM
| panies would be able to declare good div
| idends though they sold their coal at the
| cost of production, and this would not in
| clude the profits of the company store on
| groceries. dry goods. clothing, etc, which
| the miner buys for family use, but only the
| profits the company would receive on arti-
| cles used in mining the coal. The men
| have tried TO buy powder on their own ac-
| count by pooling their funds, but the COM
| panies stopped it by refusing to allow II
| to be brought on the premises on the pre-
| text that there was not ample provision
| against accidents.
| Another law is for the weekly pay day.
| 1t is not opposed SO much as the pluck
me- store law, nor as the law providing
| for the payment for coal weighed before
| it is screened. The operators insist that
| all these laws are unconstitutional, be-
| cause they interfere with the right OF pri-
| vate contract; that a miner has the indi-
terms. terms TT 1t is ; said that the Supreme court :
| of Ohio, Illinois and Missouri have declared
| like laws to be unconstitutional on that
| give the miner the benefit of all the coal
| he gets out. In some localities he is paid
! for the total weight of all that he mines,
but it is at a proportionately less rate OF
pay. The nut coal and slack which the
operators sell can also. be added to the
dividend referred to above, which IL is
| possible to declare, though the selling price
of coal should be but equal to the cost Of
The railroad switches to the mines are
! flied with empty fat cars. The operators
are holding on 10 their customers by re-
| early supply Of coal. The resumption OF
| operations is a slower process, however.
4 than might be supposed. There is more or
less work of preparation to be done in the
mines, and then. too, before the coal is
brought TO the surface and loaded the
cars there Is good deal or the mining
| process 10 be undergone When the output
| is continuous this part OF the miners work
| is not counted upon. The merchants in
| the mining districts are not expecting any
| direct cash benefit for six weeks. The
| mine-- are mostly in debt for rent and
other Things, which the company will col
| leet out of the first money earned. There
| is anoth ar reason for delay. When the men
return II work after a siege or ld1eneSs
they are physically unable to do full
| days work. The crarnped position OF the
bodvSgnd the strain on the muscles has to
! be gradually undergone before the men are
capable of working to the usual extent
In the Columbus compromise agreement
the men secured a clause providing for a
check weighman. Miners say IL Is fire.
quentiy the case that they ''get the worst
| of it, in the weighing OF their output. This
claim is one that President Dunkeriy made
! a stand for Dunkerly was last-ditch
| fighter among the representatives OF the
miners at the conference and held of the
settlement twenty-four hours. yet the In
| diana miners in convention last Saturday
| deposed him for signing the agreement.
That they ere of another opinion now there
| is no doubt. Indeed IL Is doubtful IL a
majority of the miners were at heart in
favor OF continuing the strike. but the
radicals and hotheads took possession OF
last Saturdays convention and ran away
/ with It. There were Office seekers present,
/ too who wanted change"
There Is no doubt tonight that the con-
vention tomorrow will yindicate Dunkerly,
If II does not depose Purcell his successor.
and restore him TO the office or president.
| The block coal men are In favor OF doing
this, and IL they send delegates there VIII
be a motion TO that effect. The fear Is.
| however. that the block coal men viii drop