New-York tribune., 1900-09-22
cO4L RAILROADS DENOUNCED
PRESIDENT MITCHELL CALLS THEM
THE REAL ENEMIES OF
THE MINERS.


THE MINERS.
Hazleton Penn sept 2-Presiden Mitchell to-
night issued tho following open letter to the public;
tIazleton, Penn: September a.
Fully conscious Of the vast public d htspes5 v,pge5 he
tween organized capital and underpad a96r' % ab au
tec Of arbitration IN the present so9 9
STRIKE as 9L 1hf e aa e nv own attitude
and the attitude Of my official colleag cues ana t9e ne
way so clear and definite as to leave no further
room % for misunderstandng .r,,o as ,bA,r real
opponents in this struggle for slight
miners tS a FG nine Era rSrssGs Whch With their pres
dents are the Pennsylvania Railroad company RPstIsy
Railroad system Alfred Waiter prssidsntS i DsIS oIS
P pha9 ana presdeS %Gs9n TS@ Peis@are ard
WeslsEn Railroad company W Il =, TSgssdias. Tswt
sey j. r Maxwell, president: Philadelphia, and and
p1s Rsds rS aT1s6 nga {2ssp9 asque
hanna and Western Railroad F. 3 Thom1ss P[esi }o;
pany. irving 4. stearns president. and Sew--Y3TE'
Outaio and Western Railway. Thomas B. Fowler
These nine railroad corporations besides pro
sS se e soe GAMERS to ewaeT Of ali coal
in e 9 Of S Of abafTa 3 om @nq q TO tq s.
cent Der ton according to the size of the coal Is |
three times as much to carry ton OF anthracite !
coal 2ne hundred miles as is charsed to carry ca
exorb are the rates that the legitimate profits
ments of these railroads absorbed by freight /
rates, and as consequence thelr coaI H a0
made to show very small proht on their cap /
italizaion.
RAILROAD PRESIDENTS BLAMED.
II this is the state Of affairs with the railroad
minns departments what is the eonaluon sn5 OK sne
that he can do nothing which his raroad o. Db
notoriey that he does do nothing which the rail,
roads 90 not sanction? therefore, wiener @ OF s
their great enemies: whether or not the individual
CaGse 1gainst these railroad systems l. speaking
for thu one hundred and thirty thous]ana ] flIii T
roads rsa enemies anG nams their r pPs5sii pas5i
Tafe even "T confer upon the derences which
have sown up, not between them and the organi-
own o7O enpoyes Who through delegates selected BY
themseEes met IN ConVenon IN M Inc [S M SeGIaInnes Gt
which we're mailed 70 the general superintendents
91 Sy Rans 9n y for the nurpose Of discussing
AND ' if p7ssib!e agreeing upon such changes in the
! scale Of mining and conditions Of employment as
dus}ry. Ba! 70 cur chagT9 and disappointment
knowledged by those in charge Of the coal depart
ments
NO ARBITRATION WITH INDIVIDUALS.
| These grievances. which the miners recited in
their circular formed the ground for the 3 present
! ters against whom are making this peaceful.
pendent operators as G. B. Markle 6 % in the light
Of felow victims with ourselves suffering @ under I
wages and nhuman conditions OF employment ne m a4G no
such Individual operators as absolutely calcu-
! lated to advance the cause Of the great body OF
bring their certain defeat for even the Board
ain that the men desired that award could be lived
| up to by Markle only so long as the strike con
would be permitted mine and ship would 9. in in
yarlabiy be appropriated ny the dehIsh @ @ Sey eaas
the weapon which would defeat the very object for
Sa@se Of 5G the MINE ~osrs % Of the snt6facte @
having their % nv wagss based a upon n SGg be- } e
dured were the strike TO prove a failure at other
Wages fixed on a siding scale basis would only
remain high while there was scarcity Of coal IN
the New-York and Eastern seaboard markets, ana
would Immediately faIl when more coal was being
sumed 1t is an absurdity. from business point
OF view. % even assume that Markle or any other
individual operator could continue to pay higneE
rate of wages than his G9mpeIitors& & the raitT0aa s
and. in fact it is well known within the mining
regions that the individual operators. including
their men which in some Instances are more objec-
porations For these reasons l hold that it would
be fatal mistake for US TO consent TO any partiai
a general resumption OF work -,
and o be sueeessfu there must be no break in our
line of action. 1t ought 10 go without saying at
/ principle Of arbitrat alton, and did not personally y
favor these PRINCIPLES the laws OF me & @
its cardinal tenets, will go further and say that
arbitration in civilized land would he gnneces-
sary II miners and mine owners were to adopt the
same system OF adjusting wage disputes as Is ~
| vana. also in all other coal producing States
ers meet annually in joint convention and reach an
amicabe settlement on all questions governing the
oils last January 250 opera tors and $50 miners dele
! gates, representing an annual output or seTenty
million tons of bttuminous coal in Western Penn
| sylvania Ohio Indiana and Illinois, met In eonrer
| ence and mutually agreed that the miners earn
ines should advance % 2o-loo per cent.
ones @ in the states West Of he Mississippi River an,
south of the Ohio River. 10000 mine workers re
spiN an
Si20Coo0o in one year. thus precludtng even IN
Of which they will again meet In joint conference
Y to renew the contract ana make such changes II
the cost production and the values of coal in IN
I markets. This. in my opinion is tho ideal methn
labor and capital that share of the profits Of thei
joint industry whicn each is properly entitled.
5 OFFER OF SETTLEMENT REPEATED.
: misguided. repuguRnce he part of the railroa
$ carriers and the anthrac field to recognize on
ganization whose chief officer | have the honor I
te. Yielding all natural pride Of having IT treate
! and privately stated before that l md nv ofRcia
colleagues will not ask to 9e rec"S 1S ntzed or con
sentatives Of these great railroad companies wi
> do what they have many times said they woul
?, | come. 10 a peaceful agreement. Provided, however
| panIAs and committees representing their own EN-
ployes will meet In separate nails IN the same cit
and on the same date. This provision is Inserte
q grievances any Of these great companies the
company could not remedy the wrongs complaine
! Of because competing companies enforced coud
n tions OF employment not more favorable 10 II
4 mine workers than their BY holding thes
' separate conferences simultaneously in one cit
IS there could be an exchange of opinion between a
4 | of he mine owners and miners whose interest
. at stake. thus removing the possibility OF or
y company being nlaced at disadvantage by pay
10 ine more for labor than eXaCted from the