Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-09-13
THE ANTHRACITE STRIKE.


The controversy between the coal
miners In the anthracite region. and
their employers, has at last been car
ried beyond the point OF negotiations,
and general strike has been ordered. TO
go into effect on the 18th OF this month.
The strike is characterized as the most
gigantic In the world Of labor The or
der is issued by the leaders Of the Unit
ed Mine Workers OF America, and they
expect that over 10000 men viii obey
the mandate and cease work
The men have several grievances.
one Of them Is that the system Of dock
age Is unjust More or less slate and
waste substance is always brought to
the surface I'm mining the coal and Tor
this reason the miner Is only paid for
ton for every $500 pounds he takes out
Of the grounds. This. the laborers
claim, IS simply oppression. They fur
Their complain that their wages are reg
ularly held back after they are due,
and that they are forced to trade In
company stores, where all the goods are
held above the regular market price
Thus they have TO buy their own pow
der, and they allege that they are
charged for this about three times as
much as It can be bought Tor else.
where
The operators deny the charges They
claim that they are supplying goods as
cheap as anybody and that the wages
are held IN reserve for the miners end
their families. At the same time they
allege that the companies are making
very little on the coal and that but Tor
the profit on supplies, they would have
TO cut down the wages Of the working.
men. In addition 20 this. they declare
that Of their $4,000 employees only from
$4,000 to 1900 belong TO the miners or.
ganlzatlon, 20 that, In fact, the de-
mands for arbitration come from an
entirely non-concerned association,
which they feel Justified IN refusing a
hearing. Their contention is that the
leaders OF the strike do not understand
the anthracite situation and are not in.
terested in II.
The general public may not be quail.
fed to judge about the merits OF the
controversy as far as the dockage sys.
TEN Is involved. but when Il comes to
the retention Of wages and compulsory
trading in company stores. It is differ
ent. The operators do not seem TO have
the best Of the argument. They vlrtu.
ally are taking enough out OF the wages
Of the men to swell the dividends to
what they consider a reasonable figure
II that Is not robbery In disguise what
IS Il?
It Is to be regretted that the efforts
to arbitrate the difficulty have failed
TO bring desirable results. II the strike
becomes as general as is supposed by
the leaders Of the movement, the com.
panles will sustain some loss, and the
public viii be taxed In the form Of
higher price for the coal product. and
otherwise. Tine laborcrs however will
Doe the main losers, and after weeks, OF
months Of suffering. they viii perhaps
be compelled to go back TO work at
| reduced wages, or return 90 the condi.
tions now complained or There have
no doubt. been some successful strikes
but as a general rule, capital comes out
OF the contest with labor. victorious as
witness the recent struggles ln st. Louis
and Chicago.
Deporable as such conflicts are, they
must not be considered entirely void Of
good results, finally They will help in
bringing about legislation for the peace.
lul adjustment OF disputes between Ia
borers and employers. And this is one
of the great needs Of the age sdk-
ing ls not O. natural remedy Tor grew
ances of this kind 10 may be a poor
expadignt in the absence OF adequate
legislation and proper courts OF arbi.
tra,1n. but the latter win In time be
| established Tor the benefit OF an parties
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