The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1895-07-03
coal operators nave not yet developed
that amount Of intelhpence

upon prices, such contracts being given
uncer a pledge Of secrecy, have been re-
sponslble for the low prices for bitumi
nous coal for the past two years.
When competition of this kind is once
started, it does not stop until it APP
proaches the point Of actual cost of pro-
'ductlon, and this is generally followed
by an attempt to reduce wages SO that
the competition may be carried still fur
Their
1t seems to me that there is NO bust
ness in this country where the remedy
is SO plain as in the bituminous trade.
It is possible for capital and labor to
unite IN such manner that both will
receive their fair share Of the results.
There is no question that the yearly con-
tlict is injurious to all concerned, and
she2e is likewise ne question that these
yearly conflicts can be avoided.
it rests with the conservative and in
telligent men IL the ranks of labor and
among the operators and railroad man
( ayers to bring about an organization
/ which Will prevent any trouble in the
| future. Such an organization should en-
brace West Virginia, Pennsylvania,
Chic, Indiana and Illinois The Inter
state association should fix the miners
wages for the miners in the various
districts. 1t should also establish the
tprice for coal and the rates for carrying.
Then in each district there should be a
! local organization, like that Of the Ohio
T Coal association, to take charge Of ques-
/ tions which belong to that district alone,
such as the making of sales and contracts
and receiving the proceeds, This power
should be added TO that which is already
possessed by the Ohio association.
Formerly there existed an interstate
organization embracing Pennsylvania,
Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana and ILL
1ois, and the results Were profitable to
/ all interesred-=i. E., the railroads and
their employees. the mine owners and
their employees.
! Today the chie9 opposition to reviving
( it seems to be the operators in Pennsyl-
vania, who have openly declared them
selves against any agreement either of
the mine owners OF or, anization of mine
labor.
! A good commencement ito an inter
Estate agreement is found among the
operators Of Ohio, who seem to be gen
erally in favor of il, and who have made
frequent efforts during the past year
among the Pennsylvania operators to re-
Eestablish the interstate compact, because
Eltcave the best returns to all concerned,
| including labor. 1t was with this III
view that the Ohio operators faithfully
carried out the 1894 agreement, and IN
the face of Pennsylvania having reduced
it's labor to the lowest point ever reached.
There should be no difficulty IN arriv-
ing at an agreement with the national
mines organization as to wh&+ would
be fair wages for the miners IN she va
rious districts. Then the agreement
/ should provide a scale OF wages for the
miners which would adTance and de-
| cline with the price of coal believe
/ that such a scale is in existence today III
| Wales and has been found to work TO
the satisfaction of both the mine owner
and the miner. The Reading ra3 leoad
at one tirne worked under such system
and found it satisfactory.
| In Wales an auditing Of the sales
takes place every 60 days, and the aver
age Urice determines the price paid tbs
miner. The books Of the various assocla-
tions should be open to the inspection OF
the representatives Of the railways, the
| OPERATORS and the miners organization,
50 that there could be no question as to
whether the agreement was being faith
fully carried out.
The Ohio operators deserve great
credit for the stand they have always
taken in favor Of higher wages for the
miners and also for the honorable man-
ner in which they have lived up to the
agreement they have made with the
miners organization wish IcouId say
as much for the operators OF the Pitts
bnrg district
II seems to me that the labor leaders
IN the mixers organization made Sc
rious mistake in 1894 when they ordered
q strike not only III the district which
refused to pay the wages demanded, but
also in districts where the operators
were willing to concede what the MN
ers asked. and where they had always
roceivel fair treatment Had they at
that time confined their strike TO the
districts which insisted upon low wages
| their expenses would have been much
less. and they would have had larger
fund at their command by being able to
draw more heavily upon the miners who
won Id have been at work in the districts
which were not opposed to the rate then
demanded
THE rates which have always been
recoonized as being fair between the va
,ri,rn the miners III L