The age-herald., 1900-09-14
PRE- ES|DENT MITCHELL SAYS THE
 STRIKE IS PRACTICALLY ON Officials of United Mine Workers IS- Sue Statement of Existing Condi-
 tiOnS--From Other Places.

indiana polls, September 13.-In order to pIace before the public the conditions exist Ing in the anthracite fields of Pennsylvania President John Mitchell and Secretary Treasurer w. B. Wilson of the United Mine Workers of America, issued today to the Pubnc a statement giving in detail the causes that have led up to the strike.
 After the statement had been given out for qualification, President Mitchell said:
 At this time 1 do not believe anything will tra s pire between now and Monday that will prevent the strike. All information coming to my office today predicates that the struggle is practically on.'
 The sta tement recites the miners grIev- anceS as follows:
 The average wages of the anthracite miner for many years has been less than $2oO an nu ally. During that period of time the cost of many of the necessaries of life have been increased 20 per cent. An increase in the cost of living without a corresponding increase of wages is equiva- lent to a reduction in wages.
 some Of he !. .evnnces
 The laws of the State of Pennsylvania m3ke 24oo pounds ton of anthracite coal; yet an thracte miners are compelled to mine from 27O0 to 400O pounds for a ton and in addition to that are docked exorbitant a m tSs often reaching 12 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 we'll rounded heap on the car at the breakers, originally agreed to, they have gradually been com pened to increase the amount of coal in each car by building the same perpendlcu- 1ar1y from sixteen to eighteen inches above the edge They are compelled to purchase the powder used in mining from their em- p1Oyers, paying $2.75 per keg for a grade of powder that they can get elsewhere for $1.5o per keg, and which wholesales for about $1 per keg- They required by many of the companies to deal In pluck-me stores leave their employment. They must pay to the company $1 per month for doctor whether they need him or not and have voice in saying who the doctor shall be- The SIna 11neSs of their earnings together with the great cost of living has compelled them to take their children from school before they reach the age prescribed by law. and place them at work in the breakers, In der to keep the family from starvation"
 Rb epared For Pr"long.u .iEh.
 At the close of last year there 931A bona id members in the Mine Workers ga niza tiOn. At the convention in January 1t was decided to levy upon each of these m erI1 berS assessment of 25 cents per nont tn to be placed in the hands of the tiona1 executive board, for use defense fund Part of this money has been used in sm a1 strikes, but the bulk of 1t is prob ably ava liable at this time Since January of the present year there has been ma teria1 in crease in the memberships, which of course carries with 1t an increased de- fenSe fund. Aside from the money in the hands of the national executive board, local unions In number of States have accumu- lated large sums of money in their treas uries which, while not at the command of the exec utive officers of the organization, will probably be placed in the strike fund.-
 Con tri buttons from other trades unions can be counted upon and from these facts It can be seen the miners prepared for prolonged fight.