Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-09-19
THE MINERs' GRIEVANCES.

According to the statement OF the
vice president Of the Lehigh Coal COM
pany, now published, the striking
miners IN Pennsylvania have no grley-
apce whatever. They merely demand
an increase Of wages and this would
in the opinion OF some Of the operators
entirely ruin the coal companies.
n these are the facts In the conlro-
yersy the operators have certainly
committed a great mistake lnrefusing to
arbItrate the points in dispute. An
impartial board Of arbitration would
have decided IN favor Of the companies
IL the employees have no just cause for
complaint. Such board would have
demonstrated to the workingmen the
,mpossibility for any company to pay
ruinous wages. by refusing 10 arbl-
trate the operators have only strength
eped the public sympathy for the
strikers.
The Springfield Republican gives
some information concerning the stu
alton ia the anthracite coal region
which Is Of present interest. 1t Is
from a little volume entitled "Ameri-
cas- working People" by Charles b.
spahr. According TO this, one OF the
diaioultles OF the men Is that there is
not enough work for them all the year
round. The railroads are said to be
largely responsible for this. They
combine and impose eNorbitant
charges thus Inducing the Indepen-
dent operators to seek new outlets for
,helr product. planning new roads ana
openiug new mines. The new roads
finally Join the combination and the
burden Of maintaining lines OF trans
portation is further enhanced
The result is that western coal Is
finding rs way into the eastern mar
ket and while the traffic charges on
the hard coal are increasing, trans
portation facilities multiplying ana
more mines opened, the markets are
not widening. and consequently the
men find much less work than they
would do. we're the transportation
charges reasonable and the coal cheap
enough 10 compete with the product
of other regions. For several years.
fl Is claimed. the men have been kept
al work at an average OF $50 days q
year. while In former years the aver
ago was from 27O TO ESQ days year.
Thus one young man is cited as an IN
stance. He was paid $50 day as q
driver In a mine, and he did not com
pia,n of that wage. but his grievance
Was that he could not find employ
ment more than two or three days a
week ana 10Y that reason he was UNI
able 20 support himself and those de-
pendsut on him Another instance IS
Given OF a man who had work every
day. being IN charge Of an engine
which had 20 Doe looked after daily
HE weekly wages were tSi0, and he
had family 20 support on that sum.
The controversy Is o. general interest
On account az iis bearing directly or
indirectly on the business situation OF
the country, perhaps also on the polit'
teal campaign, and any light thrown
ON II should be welcome Notwith'
standing the low wages and the limit
oI opportunities of earning them, the
strike would not have been ordered ex-
c.pt for The ovorcharges made for
powder and the necessities OF life. II
.s ar I The miners were under con.
tract Co buy their powder Of the oper'
atols 40 S215 a Reg which could bs
bad 90 jhe powder works Tor 90 cents
This. together with the abuses Of The
c1mp ny stores. caused the disaflec-
ZION. which finally took the form OF
strike that may become the most ex'