Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1895-10-22
THE COMPANY STORE QUESTION.

The convention of operators and miners
which was held at Pittsburg last week
adopted the following resolutions:
Whereas, 1t is believed that the opera
ton of stores in connection with mining
has resulted in great injury to the mu-
tual interests of operators and miners'
but many operators who have heretofore
kept stores have discontinued doing so
under the agreement of August 2 We
recognize the many difficulties to be met
with by operators in the disposition of
their stores without loss; therefore be it
Resolved, That all stores owned by coal
companies and known as company stores
be abolished on or before January l, 1896.
Mine owners, superintendent, mine
clerks or bosses shall not either directly
or indirectly be interested in connection
with such stores"
Speaking of these resolutions prom
inent operator, Mr.. DeArmit, said:
TRUE uniformity is the payment of so
many cents, in cash, for 1000 pounds of
coal That is the whole question. We
may talk as much as we choose, but the
entire problem is solved In that. 1t is
when we departed from that simple prop
osition that we got into difficulties. When
we talk of screens limits of weights,
payment in store orders, we strike phases
of the question that make trouble
These things enter into the problem, but
a
result should be that the miners earn the
same as If the coal went over a blind
screen and the operators are given the
fullest return.
While some operators pay in cash, and
others in store orders. there can be no
uniformity. The price of coal then de-
ponds upon the price of Calico or bacon,
or molasses. In other words it is worth
so much calico or fitch, or molasses, to
dig ton of coal. With the operator who
Keeps a store the price of coal does not
depend upon the price of mining. If 1T
did, coal would not be sold for 10 and Is
cents a ton below the cost of mining as
has been the case In Pittsburg during
the past year. In competition with the
storekeepers the operator who pays in
cash must adjust his rates on a lower ba
sis. Then the storekeeper sees that he
has no advantage and down goes the
rate of mining, or up go prices in his
store, or both. and the cash operator is
again compelled to readjust his rates.
If the stores are all right, follow out the
logical result to the end and see If the
miners will not be compelled to ask their
employers to raise the price of store
goods. The fact is the store operator
with the highest priced goods has the
lowest priced coal He, therefore, gets
trade when the high priced operator has
none. The end of that is. that the miners
who work for the operator who is losing
trade through the coal sold at cost of
digging will some time ask their employer
to raise the price of his store goods, sell
his coal for less and secure work for them.
There must be limit of competition.
1t should be the cost of production. In
the Ptttsburg district it has exceeded
that. The cure is not in the payment of
an apparently higher rate for mining,
with the accompaniment of stores. 1t
lis the payment of some rate in cash for
certain amount of coal. If you are deal
ing with tons, 2O00 pounds is right. not
$500 or 2240."
Mr. DeArmit concluded with a state
ment of the system in force at the New
York and Cleveland company's mines,
and read resolutions adopted by the min
ers of Plum Creek and Oak Ridge Octo-
Der 2. The future position of the company
and it's miners, he said, depended upon
the united decision of the district opera
tors The company was prepared, he
said, to pay any price in cash that might
be agreed upon when the district shall
have established and enforced he condi-
tons he had enumerated.
Commenting on these resolutions and
upon Mr.. DeArmits speech the Pitts
burg Manufacturer says:
-"Of course the most important action
taken was that in relation to company
stores The question brought out con-
siderable bitterness; at times the discus
sion became decidedly personal, but after
all it was for the best, for when all had
relieved themselves by good "jawing,"
the prevailing sentiment in regard to the
system came out. Mr.. DeArmit's state
ments on the question of uniformity in
the district bore directly on the store
question and he showed that while some
operators pay in cash and others in store
orders, there can be no really uniform
mining rate in the district. He clearly
demonstrated that under the company
store system the operator with the high
est priced goods gets the lowest priced
coal. 1t seemed that despite the criti-
cisms of Mr.. DeArmit's speech it was
generally believed that the operation of
stores in connection with coal mining
has resulted in great injury to the mutual
interests of operators as well as miners.
Consequently, when it was proposed to
do away with the system within the pres
ent year, the measure met the opproba-
ton of both sides. OF course some diff
Guilty must be expected in carrying out
this resolution, but it must finally pre-
vail. and with the company store will
be swept out an evil which has caused
untold trouble in the coal trade
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