Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-01-02
JOHN MqnnIDn's CONVICTIONS.
The Noted Leader Expresses Himself
On the Situation

The Noted Leader Expresses Himself
On the Situation
Columbus, Ohio, Jan. Under date
of Massillon, Ohio. December 25, an in
terview with President Mcbride OF the |
United Mine Workers and president of
the American Federation of Labor, is |
sent out. The first part, 1t will be OBJ
served, sets forth opinions bearing more |
on political than on labor sffairs He
said:
When l say that l am limited So
ciallst l only say what every citizen OF
the country must say, for we have now
n limited socialism. and It Is simply a
question OF opinion how far 1t should
extend For instance, believe that
dhe government should take up and
operate all lines OF transportation and
take charge of such productions as the
people may elect from time to time.
That leaves the opening broad enough
to admit or exclude anything. As to
wealth think the time has come when
we must revise our Inheritance laws
and prevent the accumulation OF vast
fortunes by limiting the amount one
man may leave 20 his heirs, the residue
to go to the state. and thus baclI1n the
pockets OF the people. to whom It be-
longs.
Then he spoke on that more pcrtin-
ent topic, the mining troubles, on
which no man is better informed.
l have been president of the United
Mine Workers for three years, and in
that period the membership has grown
from 1900 to 10000 OF the present
membership over $4,000 are paying
members, BY this l mean they meet
the per capita assessment OF 10 cents
month. The others would do so.
but they are simply unable to spare
the money.
There are 900 bituminous miners
in the country. and | think we have
| demonstrated that they act as unit
| when occasion requires. At the present
time the question of their existence Is
upperInost, and the next thing to be
done IS to take what can be obtained
and wait in such patience as may be
commanded unit there comes an OPEN
| ing for SUGGEST y movement.
l am not inclined to take a hopeless
view OF trade conditions by any means.
l thinl; there comes a time when
wrongs break by their own weight
and are righted. Possibly things are
getting ready to break now.
We have in this country q popula-
| ton of consumers. now and for years
past getting the cheapest and the best
fuel in the world. and both able and
willing to pay living scale of wages
| to the miners. We have operators, as
rule equally willing 10 pay such a
| scale. and yet, in fact,our miners are
working at rates Just above the starry
alton point, finding scanty work. and
| that little mensced by another reduc-
ton, for which no one has expressed
desire
Now why does this state of affairs
| exist? 1t is because in the Pittsburg
| district the New York and Cleve-
land gas company and the Chicago
and Pittsburg gas coal company. and
possibly 10 or IA other smaller COM
| panies employing at the outside 5000
men. refused to pay the scale of wages
fixed for the Pittsburg district, and are
pressing competition to a pass that
forces less exacting operators to meet
them on equal terms.
The excuse now and the excuse last
summon of these operators IL that they
have contracts which cannot be sue
cessfully filled at a higher rate OF
wages We answered that In the sum
mer by offering TO take such contracts
Off their hands We then obligated
ourselves to pay them and others hav-
ing such low priced contracts a differ
ence amounting to $4,000 If they
would Join in compact whereby the
minors could be made contcnted and
reasonably well paid class of men.
We offered to create a fund by de-
ductlou of i've cents n ton from the
wages Of every one of our people to
be sent in the form Of a monthly check
to the various coal companies or to a
committee appointed to properly dis
burse the money. The offer was re-
fused on the ground that It would
place these men In too humiliating
position.
The effect OF this attitude was TO com
pei us to abandon a scale of 10 cents
for Hooking districts In favor of one
10 cents lower, leaving these companies
/ speak OF out Of calculations. We
have been working along under 90 and
60 cents all summer and winter, while
the outside concerns have been paying
part OF the time % and as cents and
are still doing so. OF course, their
local competitors felt this difference
and when they recently appealed to
us what could we do but release them
from all obligations TO the national
contract and refer the matter to the
local district for settlement
Those operators now ask for reduc-
ton of II cents. and the miners want
them 10 take seven. Some change Will
be made. and when 1t comes Ohio will
naturally become restive. and so the
trouble spreads, and in a short time the
scale Is broken and the operators OF the
country stand upon the same rcla-
tive basis they did before the national
suspension, while the miners bear the
whole burden. 1t Is unnatural throat
cutting, and mas no right to be char
acteriged as competition.
Perhaps, after all. the true solution
OF the miners problem will he found in
the EXTINCTION of the mining business
In the coal districts that now irritate
an inhamed condition without being
able 10 control it. We have many
more miners than we need, and. while
we might force periodical suspensions,
that form OF relief would meet with
much objection.
The best remedy. OF course. would be
to decrease the number OF miners, and
thus find steady work Tor all. II the
local districts should be closed by such
causes as l have suggested the resi-
dent miners would seek other avenues
OF employment, and, therefore, during
business depressions. which now
weigh more heavily upon the miners
man upon any other class of labor,
their sunerings would be reduced to q
minimum.