The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-26
MINERS U HIT ON THE DISTRESS.
Their Omeers Cut Prices ne Cents to Get Even
with ..The Terrible Do Armittn

aASAh
with 1.-The Terrible Do Armitt."
PIrrsBURo. July 25.-one fact that has been
lost sight OF in the great coal strike is that the
strike is not for the estoration OF wages taken
from the miners by the operators, but one SIM
ply for the recovery of Is or 16 cents taken Off
the miners by their own officials over ten
months ago. Previous TO Sept. l last the price
OF mining In the Pittsburgd district, which regu-
lates the price in all the bituminous fields of the
country. was 40 cents a ton. The contracts
made between the miners and operators ut that
price had several months yet to run, and all
was serene In the district. with the miners busily
at work.
Actuated by some mysterious influence, which
has never been explained satisfactorily. the
United Mine Workers officials came together
and decided to reduce the wages OF the miners
they represented Is cents "a ton on Sept. /, making
the price in the district 81 cents u ton. the same
as that In force at the mines Of the New York
and Cleveland Gas Coal Company. The excuse
given by the miners officials Tor this surprising
action was that they wanted to get oven with
w. p. De Armitt. President of the New York and
Cleveland Gas Coal Company. and starve his
miners out.
De Armitt's contract with his miners fixes the
price OF mining at his mines at 10 cents below
the district price. This ditierCntial is allowed
because De Armitt pays in cash, keeps no COM.
pdny stores, maintains honest weights and
! bCTGGuS, ant Il UO III VI lLlllc "hsUhb. IL
was in the hope OF compelling DE Armitt TO take
advantage or his contracts and reduce the price
miners to strike against the reduction Of 10
cents "a ton. that the miners officials cut of the
10 cents. they said.
De Armitt had a right to lower the price at his
mines TO IA cents. HIS miners expected the reduc-
ton and were even prepared 10 accept 1t. but he
refused to make it. and has been paying the dis
trict price OF 81 cents ever since. In reality he
has been paying his miners for over ten months
| 10 cents more than the district price, Tor IL Ia in
cash. while other operators have been paying In
company ,s store e 9 9rdIn + on ne w nan 'hey have rea'
The miners working ior De Armitt do not for
get this. They feel grateful toward him, for it.
cannot DO induced to strike. Another thing
they are well aware OF is that II the striking
they arc fighting for, II would mean an increase
in their own wages to 80 cents. In accordance
with the terms OF their contract with De Armitt,
which makes the price paid by him ten cents
less Than the district price. They have every
thing to lose by striking, should the strike prove
a failure, and something substantial to gain by
remaining at work should II result in success.
That is another reason why they don't Join the
This action of the miners officials in taking 10
cents a ton off the coal diggers' wages has been.
terms by the old officials OF the miners organi-
cation and by. the KNIGHTS OF labor people.
They They say iCd the .i 10 cents ,ro wa" the e%I m}nersy ann and h an.
tered away by designing labor officials" What
ever the motive that influenced the miners
officials in this instance. their action Ia charnc-
terized generally AZ the biggest kind OF "a blum
der, for which there WAS not a shadow OF an eN-
cuse. 1t is held 10 have demoralized the coal
trade and to have been the means OF keeping tho
miners In poverty and distress all through
the past winter and up 70 the present time, 80
first call on the County Poor Boards TO relieve
the suffering OF the miners, and then upon the
Pennsylvania Legislature Tor AN investigation
that the committee appointed for that purpose
vindicated De Arnitt and his methods, and cx-
posed the criminal laundering OF those Officials,
After a while those same officials ordered a
strike of the miners, In an effort TO get back u
OF the 10 cents, but this was a failure, and at
last came the present strike for IL recovery OF 10
ranta nf n