The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1897-07-24
THE GREAT COAL STRIKE
It Is Directly Attributable to the
Wilson Law.
President Ratchford's statement :
MIR. bryan Favors Free Coal, and
Thus "a Farther Reduc-
tfon I'm Wages.

low tariff law are the subject of con-
siderable comment among tariff stu
dents and members of congress gen
orally.
That the reduction which the law
made in the tariff on coal caused great
reductions In the wages of miners is
easily shown, and that the drop in
wages was practically coincident with
the reduction in duties upon coal Is
generally recognized by those familiar
with the subject.
President Ratchford, of the United
States Mine Workers association, in a
communication 10 the New York Her
aid. dated July 3, says:
"a miners wages In the western
Pennsylvania field range from 81 TO AZ
cents per ton in thin veined districts
and from 30 to 2s cents per ton in the
thick veined. In 1893 the mining rate
I'm thin veined districts was 20 cents
and thick veined 65 cents per ton. Dur
Ing the same year the rate in Ohio and
Indiana was 20 and rs cents respective
ly. Now il is 81 cents, with a reduc-
ton proposed in Ohio TO As cents per
ton. This ratio holds good in a general
way all along the lines; Illinois. por-
ton of Iowa, eastern and central Penn
sylvania and the Virginias are all equal
ly affected"
These figures indicate n reduction in
rates for mining of from 20 to 30 cents
per ton since 1898. IL was in August,
1898. that the congress which framed
The Wilson tariff law met and the work
upon the bill which reduced the coal
tariff 35 cents per ton was begun. 1t
was promised that that bill would take
the entire duty off coal, and the bill
ms framed by the ways and means COM
mittee and passed by the house did re-
move the entire rate of rs cents per
ton and placed coal upon the free list.
The eenate, however, restored n part
of the duty on coal, making the rate
40 cents per ton, and the bill when II
became a law reduced the tariff rates
on bituminous coal 35 cents per ton, the
rate under the Mckinley law having
been 70 cents per ton, and the rate
named Coy the Wilson law being 40 cents
per ton.
The fact that the entire reduction of
wages which miners are complaining of
has occurred since the beginning of
work upon the Wilson tariff law and
that the reduction is nearly the same
as the reduction made in the tariff by
that act is OF itself a remarkable CO.
incidence and would probably warrant
the assumption that the tariff reduction
caused the reduction in wages.
IL is not necessary, however, TO mere
ly assume this or 70 depend upon mere
theory TO indicate that the reduction in
tariff caused reduction in rates for
mining. II is susceptible OF proof
from facts known to every man inter-
estcd in or acquainted with coal min
ing and coal operations of the past few
years. Before the passage OF the Will
son tariff bill visitor 10 Newport
News, the seaboard terminal OF the
Chesapeake g. Ohio railway might have
seen at any time from four 10 a dozen
coasting vessels lying at the docks
awaiting the arrival of coal trains
from Virginia and West Virginia,
loaded with coal destined TO be shipped
to New York and New England. No
sooner had the Wilson tariff taken
effect than all these vessels disap-
peared as completely as though they
had been engulfed in mid-ocean.
The reason for this transformation
scene was simply tEis; the rate of duty
on coal under the Mckinley law WINS
such as TO exclude foreign coal from
New England or eastern ports, but the
reduction of the rates TO 40 cents per
ton by the Wilson law permitted Nova
Scotia coal 10 enter the northeastern
Atlantic ports at such low rates that
the West Virginia coal could not COM
pete with II. The Nova Scotia Goals
are cheaply mined. and as many of the
mines extend under water IL Is prac-
ticable TO load the coal directly on
vessels and thus place IL in any Of the
eastern United States ports at very low
prices.
The result Of this reduction in the
tariff was that the Nova Scotia coal
took the place I'm the east OF that from
the West Virginia mines and that the
West Virginia mine-owners and oper-
ators were compelled 20 seek market
elsewhere. Railroad rates TO the west
were reduced and coal which had
formerly gone 10 Kew England. went
west and came into competition with
the coal of Ohio. Indiana and Illinois.
The price OF coal In the western markets
tumbled; then followed a rate war
between railroads and between mines
and mine-owners, reduction In wages
for mining at the east, followed by re-
auctions In the west, until miners
wages became lower than they had
ever been known under the protective
policy Of the republicans.
other causes. also resulting from
the Wilson law. have operated with
equal certainty In keeping down the
prices which II wns possible TO pay for
mining. The activity and prosperity OF
the miner primarily depends upon the
activity and prosperity Of the manu-
facturer. since machinery is moved by
/ -. H.. a.. ..w~I..ntf.v. 81 rrktrh rrn