The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-29
REPLY TO RATCHFORD.
Pittsburg Operators Add Another
Chapter to Strike Literature.


PITTSBURG, Aug. 28.--This evening the
coal operators committee gave out the foI-
lowing statement in reply to the manifesto
issued yesterday by President Ratchford, of
the United Mine Workers:
Mr. Ratchford's promised manifesto has
been issued, and some of the statements
made by him call for answer from the coal
operators whom he misrepresents. Mr..
Ratchford states that the operators never
asked for conference, but declared de
termination to build stockades and to en-
plOy Calling guns and Pinkerton detectives.
This is false, and Mr.. Ratchford knows it.
He says this is the action of men who fear
discussion of the question at issue. If so,
why did Mr.. Ratchford decline to accept
any one of the four propositions made by
the operators at the Monongahela House
meeting, all of which have been published
as taken from the minutes of the meeting
and approved by W. c. Pearce, national
secretary of the United Mine Workers, and
secretary Of the meeting. Will any ra-
tional person undertake to say that men
could submit fairer proposition to adjust
a controversy? Did not Mr.. Ratchford him-
self fear to submit differences to arbitrator
when one of the parties demand. as con-
dition of arbitration, that the other sur
reno'er all that was demanded in the first
place.
Mr.. Ratchford says the miners must
have a living rate of wages What does
he mean by the term living wages? Does
he not know that any industrious miner in
the P1ttsburg district daily earned under
54-cent rate higher wage than is paid TO
majority of mechanics in the mills and
factories in Pittsburg, and that the mine
labOrers received q higher wage per day
than is paid for common labor by any
railroad or manufacturing company east
OF the Rocky mountains?
Mr.. Ratchford further asserts that the
operators did not invite him to confer
iG 81 O.
Ian, local officer of the miners organiza-
ton, was empowered by ". p. Rend, f. M.
range with his official associates for con-
ference. Mr.. Ratchford chose TO conduct
the telegraph correspondence which fol-
lowed through Mr.. Dolan, and IN winch
he is on record as having refused to confer
on any other basis than an interstate
meeting. Mr.. Ratchford knows, II he
knows anything about the coal industry,
that the wage rate in the Plttsburg dis
trict is the basis upon which the rate IS
determined in all other States. lie knows
that the interests of the Pittsburg oper-
ators are distinct and are antagonlzed by
the producers of all other districts; that
the operators of all other states would IN
an interstate meeting work unitedly to
the injury of the Pittsburg operators, as
we'll of the miners whom they en-
ploy. He admits that what the PittSburg
operators have maintained from the hfst,
namely that a settlement Of the strike in
the Pittsburg district would bring about
settlement in all other sections on a basis
of the rate agreed on for the Plttsourg dis
triCt.
man; he is for three years president OF the
Ohio miners organization; he is interested
in the welfare of the miners or that STATE,
ignoring the rightful claims of those in the
Pittsburg district. Being supported by the
Ohio operators who desire TO nave the
lake tonnage Of Pennsylvania REDUCED so
that they can gobble 1t later, Mr.. Ratch-
ford places himself in the position OF being
the willing or ignorant tool OF the On }
operators. He has told the Pitts
that they enjoyed TOO large
part of the lake business; that they
would not be permitted to retain it, ana, as
a step in the direction of diverting from
them that which their energy ana enter
prise have gained he has repeatedly con-
sented to have the miners of ONO dlg
nearly IL COO coo tons of coal each year at a
rate of cents lower than is paid IN the
Pittsburg district although Ohio ships to
the lakes less than l. 100000 tons. In other
words in order that Ohio may market
$4,000 tons at the lake side, which would
be marketed there anyway because domes-
tic coal, the miners of ONO are required TO
dig more than 0000, COO tons at cents per
ton less than is paid for digging coal III the
Pittsburg district, where the work Is less
labOrious and the conditions more favorable
for making a larger tonnage output per
man per day, and hence higher earnings.
West Virginia producers get their coal
mined for less than 20 cents ton; ONO
operators for 9 cents a ton less that the
Pittsburg operators pay, and those of In
diana and Illinois have rates correspond
inglv low in order that they may have the
better of the Pittsburg competitors, while
the rail freights exacted from the Pennsyl-
vana producers places them at dlsad-
the he digging Of their coal. Operators desire
to pay a high wage rate, but they must must
meet business conditions as reuected from
the markets in which they are obliged to
sell their coal, or go out of the business.
The fact that profits are not high is at
tested bv the record of the number of coal
companies which are now in the hands of
receivers and in the further fact that an
officer of one of the largest companies re-
on ST 600 COO capital and about 1,0O00 600 tons
of coal was only $4,000, or less than l per
cent notwithstanding access to the mar
80. . "a other eXcnntiOnal ADVANTAGES. "