New-York tribune., 1900-10-01
THE MINER ANDTHE STORES
Defence OF THE COMPANIES SYSTEM
OF FURNISHING SUPPLIES TO
THEIR MEN


THEIR MEN
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Among the many alleged grievances of the
anthracite coal miner against the coal operator
promulgated by rhe United Mine Workers Union
and the labor sgitators, are the company stores
or. they choose to style them. the pluck me-
stores
The version that generally reaches the public
through these agitators and sensational journals OF
the day is so wilfully wrong and misleading that 1t
seems only fair that the public should have the
storekeepers' side as well. For thirteen years fol-
lowing 1877 I represented through this valley
large jobbing grocery house of New-York City.
My business largely confined to selling the
company store trade of the Lackawanna and
Luzerne valleys During those days became ae-
quainted with the niner-taIked with him. touched
elbows with him and often gave him a lift in my
buggy as he trudged his way homeward with
backened face and besmeared clothes. For the
last ten years I have been one of those terrible
monsters, a coal operator and a company store
owner Having sold these stores their supplies
and now selling these supplies 10 the miners and
laborers feel that have had double expert
and should be able to discuss this part OF the
question with some degree of intelligence know
it to be fact that the miners a rule want the
company store.
The miners wife looks at the company store in
the light of safeguard and bank. All this talk
about the company store emanates from the labor
agitator. the saloonkeeper and the small shop
keeper, who hope to benefit by the miners hard
earned wages.
1t would be interesting if of these
tonal journals representatives would visit some
of these company stores and what class OF
goods they carry their shelves and what prices
IN they obtain for them While II may seem strange
looked upon the company store buyer as critical
goods, and in many branches require the highest
standard Of merit. 1t would be practically irnpos
granulated sugar, case Of soaked peas or. skim
cut price cash stores in the VILLAGES and Cities but
in the company store never.
NO COERCION OF MINERS
am largely interested in a coal operation also
in store, and we do not allow our superintendent
foreman to mention the question Of store TO our
men, much less coerce Them TO give them in
ferior chambers to work in If they should not
happen to be customers at the store. To do such
thing would be to violate of the rules of the
s, II the miner miner opens an account at the store he
9Iss 9 an 0roer directing the coal company to pay
TO hand over the balance in cash on the Saturday
stitute the crime of robbery' force" or "extor-
believe through some papers and strike leaders.
any Of the s Class aoses 5 tbe 1ex S for t5 S
same. same class ass Of goods We have oasmers and towns
well buy their goods elsewhere.
LITTLE INCREASE IN PRICES.
The claim is made by these agitators (not by our
employes) that they compelled to mine coal
a wage fixed years ago. while during these years
the cost of the necessities of life have advanced
to the consumer 20 per cent or more With view
OF investigating this last charge I had our store
keeper compile from data at hand a careful COM
parison of our selling prices the first day of
January covering the last five years. also the five
years preceding, the following goods-hour
sugar, cheese, eggs butter. hams. shoulders, rice
crackers potatoes, onions, tea, coffee. lard,
densed milk and tobacco-with the result that the
average all these goods less in the last FIVE
years than the five preceding years and the SELL
ing price January l. 1900. less than the
average for the last five years QiS96 to 1900)
hams, shoulders and tobacco. There is a wide
difference in the range of potatoes caused by the
time of year the schedule made up. On hams
shoulders and tobacco the average advance
.a6-54 per cent. That tobacco caused by
the tax. To still further, the selling prices
Of these goods save meats, on the date these
struck-September Twas still lower than that Of
January /, 1900. with flour at the lowest rate in
ten years.
What I say here regarding our establishment
age company stores There may be cases of abuse
that have never come within my notice. presume
there some such cases-but have long known
the operators, who have also company stores
throughout this valley, to be men of standing,
Of families. who have some regard for their
employees, and not the monsters and robbers that
daily painted in gaudy colors by degenerate
newspaper press that cares nothing for facts.
Scranton Sept. q, 1900 W. c. L.