The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-12-01
wmEELINo, pIorMnEn i. 1897,
labor ami immigration Ro,trlorlan.

Labor and Immigration Restriction.
The United States bureau OF labor has
issued an interesting report OF official in
vesagations of the conditions OF the
miners IN The anthracite coal district In
Pennsylvania. 1t is published In the
November bulletin OF the department
which deals exclusively with the mine
workers in the anthracite region. The
investigations were made by G. o. vlr-
tue, Phi. D., special agent of the labor
bureau. Mr.. Virtues report, while It
does not suggest plan for the ametfora-
ton OF the condition of the mining class
In the anthracite region, points
out the causes and brings to
light facts that viii prove strong argu-
ments in the hands of the advocates of
radical laws for the restriction of immi-
grafton.
Areview OF the report in the New York
Times brings out its most interesting
and suggestive features-those to which
Mr.. Virtue seems to have devoted the
most study. From the Times review
The quotations herein used are taken.
Mr.. Virtue begins with the circum-
stances which have led to the present
pltlable condition of labor in the anthra-
cite region, and concludes that although
wages there are extremely low, the hard
ships experienced are not so much due to
low wages as to lrregularlty of
employment There are too
many workmen in the an
thraclte region trying 70 make a living
digging coal, says MR.. virtue, "and TOO
much capital seeking to earn profits"
The feature OF the report which has It's
bearing on the immigration question is
that treating Of the low grade of the
mborers employed. The Times summar-
ICES 1t as follows, In part:
At the present time the workers in the
Pennsylvania anthracite mines consist
mainly Of Poles and Hungarians with a
few ItalInns-all these of the lowest type
of our recently lmmigrated labor. Con-
tent with little satisfied to exist rather
than llve,these men have struggled away
earning variously from 50 to $40 week
the latter even an excessive wage-ln the
too lnfrequent intervals when they can
have work. until desperation and starva-
ton have faced them. Mr. Virtue finds
that on an average they are employed
lees than 200 days a year, and at a scale
OF wages that has constantly been lower
ing since the days Of the late sixties and
carly seventies. when speculative opera
yars oapyrDIipd thA HaId and In fha rara
for business so overloaded the markets
that there was neither profit for them
selves nor living wages for the miners.
Even at the low rate at which these men
are willing To work. and are working,
Mr. Virtue finds that they would be sat
isfied In degree II there were any regu-
iarity to their employment. But the ter
ritory Is overcrowdcd, and there are con-
stantly more than enough laborers in the
region to man the collleres to their full
capacity. over production, which mine
owners and operators have not yet been
able to control, is the bane OF the miners
existence. and the principal problem af-t
fectihg their condition lies In the sue
cessful control o. coal production so as
TO secure reasonable restriction OF the
output, THIS latter Is problem that the
operators have long wrestled with I'M
successfully. 1t is one that enters into
the successful management OF coal prop
critics folly as much as into the solution
OF the labor problem
Mr.. Virtue reviews the history OF the
struggles Of the past to restrict produce
ton az a means of maintaining living
rates OF wages, In the sixties and seven
ties, before the inlux OF the low class OF
H..