Evening star., 1900-09-19
MORE MEN ARE IDLE
CONTINUED from First Pags.)

retary, of the United Mine Workers of Amer
lea. the following grievances of the miners
were enumerated:
The average wages of the anthracite
| miner for many years has been less than
$3.50 annually. During that period of time
the cost Of many Of the necessaries of life
has been increased over 20 per cent. An in
crease in the cost Of living without cor
! responding increase of wages is equivalent
to reduction of wages.
The laws of the state of Pennsylvania
make 2,40O pounds ton of anthracite coal,
yet anthracite coal miners are compelled to
mine from 2. 200 to 1000 pounds for a ton,
and, in addition to that, are docked eXorbitant
amounts, often reaching l. per cent of their
daily earnings, for any impurities which
may be sent out with their coal. Where
they are paid by the car. instead of being
required to furnish a well-rounded heap on
the car at the breakers, as was originally
agreed to. they have gradually been com
PEELED to Increase the amount of coal I'm
each car by building the same perpendic-
ularly from six to eighteen inches above the
edge. They are compelled to purchase the
powder used in mining from their employ
ers, using 81. IS per keg for grade of pow
der that can be purchased elsewhere for
Sl5e per keg, and which WHOLESALERS for
about 81 a keg. They are required by many
companies to deal In ''pluck-me' stores, or
leave their employment. They must pay to
the company 81 per month for doctor.
whether they need him or not, and have no
voice In saying who the doctor shall be.
The smallness Of their earnings, together
with the great cost of living, has compelled
them to take their children from school be-
fore they have reached the age prescribed
by law and place them at work in the
breakers in order to keep the family from
starvation. When any miner feeling the
burden of these conditions, has gone to the
management and asked to have them re-
moved he has been told If he does not like
1t he can quit. When they have organized
at any colliery and have sent committees
to the management. asking to have their
grievances remedied, the committee has
either been discharged or they have been
told that the evils could not be remedied
because of the competition from other COM
panies. When the representatives of the
miners of the whole region have met and
asked the coal companies to meet them in
joint convention to arrange wages and con-
ditions upon an equitable basis. so that each
would know what his competitor was pay
Ing. and no advantage could be taken Of
any one. their petition for conference has
been completely ignored.
When the business men, clergymen and
other outside influences have appealed to
the coal companies to correct some of the
evils complained Of their requests have been
denied, and when, as a last resort the off,
GERS or our organization have wired the
presidents of the great railroad companies
who control the anthracite coal fields Of
ferinS to submit the whole question to ar
bitratfn. the proposition has been treated
other &eans Of adjustment, we had reached
the polNt where We must either advise the
miners of the anthracite region to continue
working under these unjust and tyrannical |
conditions or counsel a strike
We have chosen the latter, and having
done so we invite thorough, impartial
and public investigation of the conditions
existing In the anthracite coal fields We
believe that the great American heart
throbs In sympathy for the downtrodden
and oppressed. whether in this or any other
land. We know the great power of the pub
lie press In molding public sentiment With
an abiding faith In the justice of our cause
ana consciousness of the knowledge that
Whosoever else may villify and abuse US the
Great Jehovah knows and understands the
rectitude Of our purpose. we appeal to the
American people and to the American press
as the greatest arbiters on earth to assist
us and sustain US in our hour of trial
On behalf Of the national executive board
United Mine Workers of America We are
sincerely yours.
JOHN MITCHELL. President
w. Il. WILSON. Secretary-Treasurer.