The times., 1899-04-15
THE COAL MINING INDUSTRY
Mr.. DaIxeII Says Labor Unions Cause
Strikes.

Mr.. DaIzeIl Says Labor Unions Cause
Strikes.
The coal mining industry was again dis
cussed before the Industrial Commission
yesterday. The testimony included state
ments from a witness from both the opera
tors and laborers' side The greater part
of the day was taken up by S. NJ. Dalzell
of Spring Valley, H.. President of the
Illinois Coal Operators Association, and
General Manager of the Spring Valley Coal
Company.
MIR. Dalzell's testimony was naturally on
the side of the operators, and some of his
statements were taken exception to by Mr..
Ratchford, formerly president of the United
Mine Workers of America, now a member
of the Industrial Commission. Mr.. Ratch-
ford seemed to gather from Mr. DalzelFs
testimony that an imputation was being
cast on the miners who in organizing cur
tailed the liberty to contract individually.
Mr.. Dalzell denied any such intention.
He did think, however. that the mine
workers organizations were responsible
for all the strikes, and said that where
eight or ten union men worked in mine
were always the ones to induce strike.
The price for mining coal at the present
time is about 10 cents per ton less than
it was nine years ago. Competition had
brought both the price of mining and the
price of the coal down together. In this
connection the witness said that he be-
lieyed competition. not combinations, either
OF labor or capital, had caused this reduc-
tion.
Trade conditions were better for the
moment in the coal industry than thzy hal
been for some years.
At the conclusion OF Mr.. Da'zel's te til
mony Mr.. Ratchford gave notice at
when the testimony was officially coasd
cred by the Commission he should move
TO strike out the words III they, the min
ers, did not allow the liberty OF con .raot
they ought not to be allowed to organize" ="
Mr.. Ratchford stated that unless the wit
ness could point out some SPECIFIC case
where the organized miners had prevented
the liberty of contract. the statement
should not be allowed TO stand. The ma
ter, however, was not settled, and Mr.
Dalzell remarked that in revising his tez-
timony he might find it expsd ont 10
change ii.
Thomas w. Davis, Vice President Of the
United Mine Workers Of America, followed
Mr.. Dalzell. 1t was late in the afternoon
when Mr.. Davis took the stand, and his
testimony will be concluded today. Ole
interesting point brought out by him was
that the methods emp. Dyed in osimating
the loss by strikes by the various State
statisticians was entirely wrong, and 10
correct idea could be formed from their
conclusions.
The usual method was to estimate the
number of days which the strike lasted:
the loss in wages to the miners. and the
loss 10 the operators, both by reason of
the stoppage of the output and damage
10 property by it standing idle.
During the great strike of 1897 the min
ers worked very nearly as much in
the year as usual, which is about 200 days
He explained that if the mining industry
was one that employed hslp the year
round the statisticians might be correct.
But there was only certain amount of
work TO be done and a change of time in
which it was accomplished did net mean
great loss.