The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-01-15

"\HE COMMUNICATION else
where from "Taylorville
Il Miner recites page of
local history which Is profit.
able for contemplation in view of the
current possibility that unwise coun-
sci may precipitate another disastrous
strike in the mines of the Lackawanna
valley. We use the word possibility to
denote a calamity which we sincerely
hope may never occur again: but which
can surely be prevented If the best
judgment of the intelligent and con-
servative men who work in the mines
shall be asserted in time.
Men of experience i'm such matters
know full well that strikes never pay:
that the loss in wages, the damage to
business. the suffering caused in the
home circle the feverishness. the dis
order. the turbulence inseparabe from
such destructive conflicts between labor
and capital are dearly bought even
when, at the end, some concessions ara
won; and the history of the anthracite
industry teaches that seldom do strikes
end in any substantial gain for those
who strike. The mine can close down
but the coal in it remains: it can be
mined and sold some other day. The
mine owner for time can lose his
profit and do without return on his
investment; but after the trouble ends
the mine resumes operations little the
worse forsthe enforced interruption and
the mine owner makes W. for lost
time. Not SO with the miner. The
wages lost by him are lost forever; but
in the meantime his family must live
and this means either the eating up Of
savings or debts to be paid when work
is renewed.
The great trouble in the mines dur
ing the past few years has not been in
the rate of wages. This was estab-
lished when the price of coal was
higher than it is today. 1t has not
been reduced although in the mean
time numerous reductions have beer,
made in the rate of wages paid in the
soft coal regions. Through the years
of depression the rate in this valley
remained constant but the market for
not be run as many days in the montl.
as it used to run and thus, without
reduction of the rate, the amounts
earned by the miner decreased a con-
dition which began to improve Just as
soon as the market began to take more
coal, enabling the breaker to increase
Its time. The energies of all the opera
tors are now bent to increase the de-
mand for anthracite; the more they
sell the better their chance to receivy.
profit, They cannot sell more coal.
hesvever, without first mining it: they
cannot mine il without running their
breakers or better time and this, for
the miner, means a larger pay
It is therefore clearly to the mutual
interest of miner and mine-Owner tina,
production and sale should both in
crease; and neither can increase with
out increasing the miners pay. A strike
fn,the anthracite mines might make II
easier for the soft coal operators to
crowd anthracite out; 1t could not pos
siblv aid in the extension of anthra-
cites market. The soft coal miner and
the nara coal miner are natural rivals
to'the extent that idleness for the one
generally means more work for the
other. 1t Is not possible, so long as
the present competition exists, to har.
menize the interests of both. The an
thracite miner is foolish to permit the
soft coal miner to have voice in de-
Gliding when he shall quit work. This
power Of decision should be his alone.
He Is the man whose earnings must
support his family and educate his chill
dren. He. therefore. is the man who
must not shirk the responsibility OF
preventing so disastrous an occur
renee as a strike at the very time when
better time is meaning better pay and
a brighter prospect both for himself
and for those dependent upon him.
Forewarned Is forearmed.
Senator Hanna's assertion that the