The Portland daily press., 1900-09-22
And Thus Make Profits of Mines
to Appear Small.

HazIeton, Pa, September 21.-Presi-
dent Mitchell tonight issued the follow
ing:
"Open letter to the public"
Hazleton. Pa. Septem Der 2I.-FuIly
conscious Of the vast public interests in
volved by the great contest now being
waged between organized capital and un-
der-paid labor and as mu ch has been said
and written upon the subject OF arbitra-
tion in the present anthracite coal strike,
as president of the United Workers OF
America. 1 am impelled to define my
own attitude and the attitude OF my
official colleagues and the striking mine
workers toward the coal operators, in a
way so clear and definite as to leave no
further room for misunderstanding.
The striking mine workers recognize as
their real opponents IN this struggle for
slight amelioration OF the hard, grind
ing conditions of the average miner life
nine railroads: Pennsylvania K. X.
Co.; Lehigh Valley X. Il. system; Della
ware q Hudson r. X. Co.. Delaware,
L.ackawanna & Western r. X. Co. Cen
tral II. X Co. of N, j.; Philadelphia &
Reading r. r.. Co.. Erie X. r.; n. Y,
Susquehanna and Western r.. r.; Della
ware, Susquehanna and Schuylkill COM
pany. and New York, Ontario and Western
Railway.
These nine railroad corporations besides
producing approximately ~ per cent OF
the hard coal, are the sole carriers to tide
water OF ali coal mined IN the anthracite
field Of Pennsylvania. Incredible as it
may appear, they charge three times as
much toscarry ton of anthracite coal 100
miles as is charged to carry ton OF btu
minous coal the same distance. So exor-
bltant are the rates that the legitimate
profits which should be credited to the
mining departments OF these railroads are
absorbed by freight rates and as a ccnse-
quence their coal properties are made to
show very small profit on the capital
izatl0a.
II this is the state of affairs with the
railroad mining departments, what is the |
condition OF the independent opsrators2
Is 1t not matter Of reason that he can 1
do nothing which his railroad master will /
not commend? Is It not matter OF pub
lie notoriety that he does nothing which
the railroads do not sanction? Therefore,
l. speaking for the 13O, coo mine workers
this day on strike recognize these rail-
roads as our real enemies and their presi-
dents as responsible for refusal to arbl-
trate or even confer upon the differences
which have grown up between them and
their own employees who, through dele
gates selected by themselves. met in con-
yention In the city Of Hazleton on Au-
gust u and framed list Of grievances
which were mailed to the general superin-
tendents OF the mining departments Of
these railroads, accompanied by an inv1-
tation to meet in joint convention on Au-
gust q Tor the purpose of discussing and
If possible, agreeing uDon such changes ia
the scale OF mining and conditions of en- :
p&Fment as were warranted by the condi-
lions OF the coal industry. But the invi-
tation was not even Acknowledged. These
grievances which the miners recited in
their circular formed the cause Of the pres
ent strike. We can only regard such in !
dependent operators as j. b. MarkIe 81 6
Co., IN the light of fellow victims with !
ourselves and we should regard arbitra- !
ton with any or all OF such individual {
operators as absolutely not calculated to
advance the cause of the great body of an (
thracite mine workers but on the contra i,
V to bring their certain defeat.
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