The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-06-15
THE STRIKE AT RosLYN.
Miners Forming n union--A statement
hy the Company.

Miners Forming = union--A Statement
by the Company.
| RosIYS, june 1A--fSpeeiai l-0n the call
| of the executive committee the miners and
| drivers formerly in the employ of the
i Northern Pacific Coal Company held
largely attended meeting this afternoon.
/ The session was called to consider the
/ matter of organization and 10 hear the re-
port of the committee to date. In the
/ course of the latter the chairman reported
that coal in greater or less quantity was
being shipped from the mines in the
/ Sound country TO points east of the mount
| aims. and the committee stated that it
/ could not see the adyisahility of continu-
/ ing the suspension here unless tho
miners on the West side ceased mining
| coal for east of the mountains cnnsump-
ton. In the matter of organization. State
| Organizer r.. IL. Norton, of the United
| Mineworkers of America. delegated to
| John Donovan the work of organizing the
| Roslyn and Ronald camps. At this after
| moons meeting over 300 names were en-
| rolled for charter membership. Organizer
Norton will leave for the camps west OF
the mountains Saturday morning. aud
will begin the detail work Of organizing
the miners and drivers at Wilkoson.
Franklin. Eureka, Navy Yard. Carbonado.
Gilman and other points. The men here
are apparently united in their action.
TACOMA, June 1l-[Speciai. 1.-The con-
tract for furnishing the Union Pacific rail-
road from Huntington west has been
secured by the Northern Pacific Coal Com
pany, and General Manager John Kang-
! lev. of the Rosiyn mines. says that m
taking this contract at reduction Of 30
cents per ton under the price paid by IL
when the contract was filed from the Ros-
lyn mines four years ago, the company
had In mind the furnishing OF work to the
Roslyn miners four or five days per week.
instead of only two or two and q half
days, as has been the case for some time.
especially during the past year.
With steady work, even at reduction
of % per cent. in the mining price, the
| miners would make mere money by over
a third than they could under the old
price per ton for digging coal, which was 81.
With the Union Pacific contract to fill.
Mr.. Kangley says the miners will be en-
pioyed four or Eve days per week and at
the average minimum Of s3 per day they
would receive SIS per week. while under
the old 81 rate. and only two or two and a
half days work per week. they would not
average over $40 per week. This basis OF
earnings is estimated on the superstition
that a miner, an average workman, will
dig four tons Of coal .pcr day. Mr. kang-
ley says.
"The Roslyn digging price we propose
20 make 50 cents. which for tho past
i've years has been 81 per ton. Since that
time the selling price OF coal in the open
market has been reduced 70 cents 10 81 per
ton. Contracts executed by our company
MAY l. 1904, with the Union Pacific Rail-
xa3 lagr n and for "A
quantity equailing about one-third OF tho
output of the mine. were made ut an
actual reduction OF % cents per ton 60
cents in reduction of miners wages and IS
cents per ton reduction in the seliing
price) from the price received from the
same parties in the last previous contract
our company had with them.
asThese contracts will increase the out
nut OF our mines about 331 per cent.
iabout 900 tons per month increased. and
they represent trade that runs regularly
through summer and winter, being the
best kind OF business TO get. These con-
tracts were secured as against coal mined
in Wyoming by tie Union Pacific from
their own mines. The question at stake
In the competition was whether or not ws
could make price on R0siyn coal that
would be low enough 10 equalixe the very
cheap coal mined in Wyoming. having
shorter mileage in our favor for the haul
to delivery point, but with thus mileage in
our favor the above reduction was abso-
lutaiv necessary TO get the business.
Bringing this large volume OF business To-
this state whereas for the past four years
n has gone 10 Wyoming, you can readily
see siH be OF great benefit, not only TO the
miners at Rosiyn. bus TO the community
at large. ~
had 10 make q reduction Of 90 cents in the
selling price that q reduction In the mim-
ing price was necessary. We stand rs
cents per ton and ask the miners 10 stand
20 cents ton.
under these contracts We can give the men
four and possibly I've days work week,
and the average miner can make IS and
over per day. Heretofore. for year or
more. they have only been working two
and three days . week, but nov, while
they are asked TO work Tor Tess net price
per ton, the aggregate wages they can
make With the new business secured will
he considerably more. / attribute in part
the strike At ROslyn 10 the failure Of q
great many Of the men 70 thoroughly
understand this point
II DO not know Of mIne In the country.
and by the country I mean tbs whole
United States and British Columbia, that
has not cut mining and other prices, and
some Of them three times. In the last year,
white ST Roslyn this IL the hrst reduction
In digging price in I've years"
During the past year especially, Mr.
KAnglsy says, there has been loss In the
operation Of the KosIyn mines. the output
and the pries Of coal being reduced. while
the hxed charges Of operating the mine.
including interest on the inyestment.
watchmeu, etc, hare continued. How
ever. with an increased tonnage, si.us re-
dueing the pro rata of txed charges per
Ton. il i hoped that there @ill be profit.
even xith a reduction in the selling price.
. on Ghe Increased output. provided theirs q
also reduction ia the Tninlpg price.