The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-09-13
From the Wilkes Barre Leader.

From the Wilkes Barre Leader.
The mine operators In order to show
the men the actual condition of the
union have managed to obtain copy
of the financial report for July and
saw that this is the best possible ar
gumcnt against a strike
There is a general belief among the
men that O strike will be ordered to-
morrow, but a careful perusal OF the
following statement may convince
them that a strike would be very i'll
advised and that the best thing possi-
BILE for them and for this region would
be to continue at work.
The statement is as follows.
I'm support of the contention of the
anthracite operators that the order OF
United Mine Workers of America is
not the representative body that 1t
pretends to be. attention is invited by
the anthracite producers today to the
statement of the financial secretary OF
the Mine Workers. Mr.. w. y. Wilson,
under date of July 81, 1907, an extract
from which is produced below.
"A careful scrutiny of this document
discloses that the income from all
sources for the month Of July was g25,-
| 33S.64 and the expenditures S22, ,SSg.0l,
! leaving to be applied to the reserve
! fund $2,44963. The most significant
| item of income is that derived from
| the per capita tax of 10 cents per mc,n-
! Der, this amounts to $99i0.S0 and in
| dicates conclusively that the total
| strength of the order on the first or
| August was 99,40S men, scattered
! throughout the coal iields Of the Ini-
| tcG States from the Atlantic 10 the
| Pacific, less than Il per cent. of the
| total coal workers of the country.
Further. as indicating the percent
age of disloyalty in the matter of as
sessment for the support of strikes, at
| tention was called to item No. in
the statement of income, which gives
! the total received for the month on
account of this assessment as $l4.l9S.-
| so. showing clearly that 56.79S men, or
| only 81 per cent responded to the call
for a monthly assessment of % cents
| out of a total of 80, 400 members.
ITO every thinking anthracite miner,
what more conclusive evidence of the
weakness of his chances Of support
from the Union could be produced
than can be CLEANED from this official
statement?
Attention was also called to the
fact that or August the first the re-
serve in the national treasury was S1,-
| 30695 or less than 80 cents per head
for the anthracite mine workers alone
"If only 81 per cent. of the whole
number responds to a call of % cents
per month, what percentage would re-
spond TO 4 call sufficient to provide
even the barest necessaries of life fol
the 143,00O anthracite mine workers
whom President Mitchell and his fol
lowers are asking to go on strike with
tho promise of union support?
"Mners and others concerned viii
look with interest, and many of then
probably for the first time, upon the
long list of agitators shown in Mr.Wil
sons statement, giving the names and
salaries and expenses paid to each Of
them for July. To some this list vii
doubtless suggest that the money wa:
easily eprned. Others will wonder
what is included in the heavy charge:
for expenses. Still others will posi-
blv wonder whether or not all the high
sounding sentiments uttered by thest
men in impassiOned speeches are a
entirely disinterested as they would
have their hearers believe. To mos
men the wages coupled with such ex
pense accounts would seem a suficien
motive for a good deal of oratory."
Then follows the statement:
FINANCIAL. REF ORT FOR MONTE
OF july, 1900.
Amount of money paid for salarie
and expenses of officers, organizers
ayents, etc, from July l to July 81