Daily inter mountain., 1900-09-18
THEIR SIDE Of It
MINE OPERATORS MAKE DE-
FENSE OF THEIR ACTION.
SAY STRIKE WILL NOT LAST.
Make a Good Showing For Themselves
Apparent Grievances Cover
Real Design.

New York, Sept. 1S.-John B. Garrett,
president of the Lehigh Coal COM
pany. in an interview made the following
statement in review of the various Eriev-
ances alleged by the United Mine Work
yerS to exist in the anthracite coal fields:
This company conducts no stores, nor
dpes 1T exert any influence upon employ
erS 10 prefer one merchant above another.
l. 1t employs no doctors and makes no
charges against it's employees for medi-
cal service to them or their families In
curry has satisfied me that the above is
also the case with the companies gener-
ally. Seml-monthly pay is observed by
us in few cases. being complied with in
all cases in which the men have demand
ed it 1t would be observed anywhere
were the demand made as called for by
law
The use of the word ton as applied
to $3.50 pounds is a msnomer: it is SIM
ply unit of measure which might be
called car or a cart load. or by any 9TH
er name, and is the quantityy of actual
coal. plus bone, slate and other foreign
material for the removal of which GER
tain payment is made under the agreed
scale of wages.
The price charged for powder is an
apparent but not a real grievance. In
some regions $2.75 per keg is charged, in
others Sl.50 per Keg. This of itself should
be sufficient evidence that the compensa
the price of powder as a net return for
a days labor must be essentially the
same in neighboring fields. whether one
On the other price is charged for the pow
der.
Another evidence that the price OF
powder does not create an injury to the
miner is shown by the fact that when
the subject was agitated some time ago.
one of the largest companies offered to
reduce the charge for powder to it's then
current value. provided the men would
consent to such revision of their wages
as would continue the same compensa-
.tion for their labor as they had previous
ly received under the agreement which
was then operative.
This was promptly rejected, showing
that their purpose was to effect an In
crease of wages and that if this could
not be obtained they preferred to main
tain the apparent grievance, which could
be and had been from that time to this
used as ground of complaint or unfair
treatment.
eliminating the foregoing alleged
grievances from the list formulated by
the United Mine Workers, nothing what
ever remains but a general demand for
increased pay and recognition Of this or
der as the agency through which differ
noes should be adjusted
William S. Thorne, a director of the
Pennsylvania Coal company made this
statement after talk with the COM
pany's mine superintendent over the
long distance Wire:
I'VE operate thirteen collieries and all
but two are closed. The strike appears
to be general throughout the mining
districts. Many men have reported in
our mines but hardly enough to justify
working the two colleries SO that it is
probable that they will be closed.
"The tie-up will doubtless last week
and then, the men will begin to get dis
satisfied and will want to return to work.
The miners, as far as we can learn have
not sufficient resources to carry on pro-
longed strike. Should the strike continue
for long time railroad earnings will, of
course, be affected
The operators can hold out for at least
six months. 1t is our custom to carry on
our book orders for months in advance.
We have fair supply on hand. Retail
ers, especially in the country hold good
sized stocks. I think the situation justi-
fies an advance in prices.
1--WE anticipate no trouble at our mines.
Extra watchmen have been hired but this
is the only precaution which we have
taken. I do not think that any pauper
labor will be imported unless the strike
should be prolonged