The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-09-14

3. Wilson of the United Mine Work
ers of America issued today to the
public a statement giving the causes
that have led up to the strike.
After the statement had been given
! out for publication, President Mitchell
said: AT this time I do not believe
| any thing viii take place between now
| and Monday that viii prevent the
/ strike. All the information coming to
my office today predicates that the
struggle is practically on
! I have been receiving MESA ges all
/ day from the anthracite region which
/ indicate clearly that the Endorsement
/ of the strike and the issuance of the
| order has met with the approval Of
! the miners There are a few details
/ to be arranged. but the men are pre-
! pared for the fight. I have not re-
J ceived today any information direct
! or Indirect TO show that the operat-
ors have receded from their position
Statement to the Public.
| The statement follows
Indianapolis, Ind, Sept. 13.-The
! members of the national executive
| board of the United Mine Workers of
America, realizing that the material
1 welfare of large number of the
| American people viii he injuTiOusly af-
/ fected by a suspension OF work in the
| coal fields of Pennsylvania. knowing
| the irresistible power Of a cOncentrat-
! ed public opinion and having a pro-
/ found respect for the opinions of their
4 fellow men, have decided to make a
| general statement for the informa ton
| of the public.
mo one can have a greater appre-
/ citation of the far-reaching effect of a
| strike of the anthracite coal miners
/ The coal miners and their families. the
/ coal companies and the coal carrying
railways are but a small portion of
the vast multitude whose interests are
/ so directly and indirectly connected
! with the coal trade that a conflict of
such magnitude will affect their vel
4 fare.
The domestic fuel supply OF the
| west, the great manufacturing indus
/ tries of the east, the wholesale and re-
( tail business establishments the great
ocean lake, canal and railroad trans
pOrta1On interests, IaborIng men and
| capitalists viii all be affected by such
/ a gigantic struggle. That the world
| may know that we have done all that
| honorable men can do to avoid the
/ conflict we herewith submit a few facts
/ for careful consideration.
Wages Only $3.50 a Year.
The average wages of the anthra-
/ cite miner for many years has been
I less than $3.50 annually. During that
I period OF time the cost of many Of the
necesSaries Of life has been increS Sed
! over 20 per cent An increase in he
I cost of living without corresponding
J increase of wages is equivalent TO a
| reduction in wages.
The laws of the state of PennsvI-
vania make 2,400 pounds ton of an
( thracite coal: vet auth-a cite coal min
/ erS are compelled TO mine from 2.Te0
! to 4,OO0 pounds for a ton. and in addi-
! ton to that are locked eXorbitant
| amounts, often reaching u per cent
! Of their daily earnings. for any i'm
purities which may be sent out with
their coal.
When they are paid by the car in
/ stead OF being required to furnish
/ Wei rounded heap on the car at the
/ breakers, as was originally agreed TO,
: they have gradually been compelled to
J Increase the amount OF coal in each
/ car by building the same Perpendic-
/ ulariy from six to eighteen inches above
/ the edge.
Pay High Rates for Powder.
They are compelled to purchase the
powder used in mining from their en-
/ ployers. paying S2.T5 per key for a grade
/ of powder than can be purchased else
/ WHOLESALERS for about 81 per key. They
: are required by many OF the companies
i 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 smaIIness- of their earnings, to-
/ SGLRGf with Inc great cost OF living.
! has compelled them to take their chill
! dren from school before they have
! reached the age prescribed by law and
/ place them at work in the breakers in
/ order to keep the family from starva-
| ton.
Grievances Are Ignored
When any miner. feeling the bur
/ den of these conditions, has gone to the
| MANAGEMENT end asked 70 have them
I removed rnI r1T no
/ does not like it he can quit When they
/ have organized at any cOlliery and have
! sent committees to the management.
| asking to have their grievances rem
! edied, the committee have 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 10 meet
/ them in joint convention to arrange
/ wages and conditions upon an equitable
/ basis, so that each will know what his
competitor was paying and no advan-
! tage could be taken of any one, their
petition for a conference has been COM
| pleteIy ignored
! When TIA business men. clergymea
| and other outside influences have ap-
/ pealed to the coal COMPANIES to correct
| some of the evils complained of. their
requests have been denied, and when,
! as last resort, the officers of our or
| ganization have wired the presidents Of
| the great railroad companies who con-
troll the anthracite coal fields, offering
| to submit the whole question to arbi-
tration. the proposition has been treat
/ ed with silent contempt.
Strike Only Alternative.
Having exhausted all other means of
| adjustment. we had reached the point
where we must either advise the miners
Of the anthracite region TO continue
! working under these unjust and tyran-
| nical conditions, or counsel strike.
| I'VE have chosen the latter, and. hav-
ing done So we invite a thorough i'm
partial and public Investigation of the
conditions existing in the anthracite
coal fields. We believe that the great
: American heart throbs in sympathy for