The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1895-07-03
70 STOP COAL WARS.
r,1GTON CONNOR WRITES OF
THE SITUATION.

UbE"
Daring the past two years there has
sovere competition IN the bitumi-
w, ooa1 trade, resulting in a reduction
p't .ho nrice Of coal to a point where
l.-o was but little profit for the rail
LAC which carried it, the mine owners
onnrators who produced it or for the
0Iu rs whose wages were dependent
nl an the price received for coal These
u 4~ao large interests have alike suffered
a ano, warfare which has been both
nolsh and needless.
w.t. T"sr March the Chic railroads and
-arn+ors took the initiative toward
,F;aginc aboutsa settlement Of the diff
.ItT bv the formation Of an alliance
S Satreen the operators and the coal car
riers for the purpose of securing better
. ., for ali parties in interest, to es-
+shIsh uniform rates on the railroads,
s @ stability Of prices for the coal
and through these means prevent any
S-rtber reduction in the pay of the min
,rg and ultimately to increase their
wages as the price of coal was advanced.
The OhioCoal association, which was
\ !,rn,ed last March, is we'll organized
! sor this work and secures unity Of ac-
tion in the Ohio district. That its for
NATION was g wise step cannot be cues
q toned The railroads for over year,
owing to the fierce competition which
srisre6. had been cutting prices from 20
n 40 lJer cent below schedule rates.
This organization has succeeded IN re
storing rates to the established sched-
ne and by 50 doing will add from 20 to
,Orer cent te the net revenue OF the
,oads which belong to it on all the coal
,hey carry.
An obstacle TO keeping up the miners
wages has recently been encountered by
beaction Of the Pennsylvania and West
81 Virginia operators, who have been per-
dstent in trying to drive the pay Of
miners 10 the lowest possible point.
When the great strike Of 1894 was set
fled. an agreement was made that the
miners should receive 80 cents per ton
in Ohio and 68cents PEI ton in Penn
ylyania. The Ohio operators have faith
fully lived up to their agreement and
paid 60 cents throughout the year, not
outstanding that during that time they
knew the Pittsburg district had violated
ibagreemert and was pn2erselhng Ohio
in the market, which il was able to DO
uaccount Of paying lower wages 10 the
miners
There has been eS abisha1 for years 6
difamtial Of 9 cents pertOn between
the Ohio and Pittsbnrg districts ii the
prize paid the miner. This IL the result
Of difference in the size Of screens used
ntle two digtricts. If both districts
used the same sized screens, the wages
for miners would be the same, but SO
long IS this is not the case the ditferen-
tlal must be maintained.
The Pittsburg operators having been
accesgful IN reducing the pay od large
number Of their miners during the year
1894, owing to the great number OF IN
employed, are this year opposed to a
gstmati9n to the prices agreed upon IN
I6S4. The result is that, while the ONO
Operators are in favor ofselther cont1nu-
ing the wages Of last year or even adj
Eancing to higher prices, they are unable
70 carry out their wishes, but must es-
@6lsh q rate per ton which will Ice 8
cents less than that paid in the Pitts
o0rg district, the cents being the DIT
aential which | have referred to.
There are times when capital justly
aaplains that it has not been fairly
feated by labor. There can be 40 such
0apIaint made by the Pittsburg opera
4S In this instance it is labor that has
ven made to suffer through the short
glted selfsnness of a few individuals
pa corporations.
IN 1892 West Virginia, Pennsylvania
lu Ohlo worked under an interstate
stement. Miners We're then receiving
Omo 70 cents peg ton and IN Penn
wanna 70 cents per ton. The railroads
YaIned satisfactory rates for the trans
walton OF coal, and the operators ana
'Ne owners made more money than
" nave any time sipce. The results
oa$ agreement and combination We're
OeHe1@al a2d satisfactory to all IN
.ss's that it is Impossible to find a
aso4 Why the same policy should not
'e Oeen carried out in the following
me present situation could be greatly
PaO'ed by extending an interstate Or
e,1atlon SO that it would include the
aLolS and Indiana districts. Such
4-''natlon should not be looked upon
uasr' as itwould in no sense be
,s anu would not be formed to adva2se
w. out o2ly to maintain uniform
M M III the various districts.
na a.le would be just as much sense Is
FIJI me street railways of New York
''Is Gown their fares to cents for
e ~