Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-09-18
Views Of Operators on the Great
Contest in the East
MEN WILL GROW TIRED SOON
onsrators can Hold out SIX Months
They Say the Wen Have No
Real Grievances,

Now York. Sept. lS.-John b, Car
,.r vice president Of the Lehigh Coal
,omrany In an interview, made the
,uau.ns statement In review Of the
,srar. grievances alleged by the
United Milne Workers TO exist in the
anthracite coal fields
.Tb.. company conducts no stores
mar does il exert any influence upon
employers TO prefer one merchant
ab5y. another
at employees no doctors and makes
mn charges against It's employees for
medical service 10 them or their fami-
i ps Inquiry has satisfied me that the
.U.t. fs also the case with the COM
r.nI.s generally Seml-munthly pay
i. observed by us in few cases, being
all no. which the men have demanded
p 10 would be observed anywhere
u.r. Nm. demand made as called for by
Jaw.
.In. use of the word ton as applied
n.. pounds is "a misnOmer, IL is
simply ID Unit OF measure which might
h. called u ear Or q CARLOAD OF by
4 any Uln. name, and Is the quantity
Of actual coal plus bone slate and
r,bsr lurUEu material, for the removal
,f which "a certain payment Is made
under doe agreed scale OF wages,
The price charged for powder Is
al apparent but not real grievance.
I'm some regions $2.lJ per ktg is
charged 10 others $3.50 per keg This
of UselI should be sufficient evidence
that Do, compensation of the miner
Is SIT Independently of the price Of
powder. as net return for a days la
boz mus, boz essentially the same In
uggtbJriug fields, whether one or the
other price Is charged for the pow
der
Another evidence that the price Of
I5VI.- does not create du Injury to
tae miner is shown by the fact that
IA when The subject was agltated some
"A time ago. one of the largest companies
offered Co reduce the Ch.lgg for powder
= ~ los then current value provided the
men would consent 10 such revision OF
their wages as would continue the
same compensation for their labor as
thgy he'd previously received under
tha agreement which was then opera
tive.
This was promptly rejected, show
ing that their purpose was TO effect
On increase OF wages and that 81 this
could not ba obtained they preferred
q maintain the apparent grievance,
4 which could Doe and has been from that
time 90 this used as a ground OF COM
plain. or unfair treatment
Eliminating the foregoing alleged
grievances from the list formulated by
tha United Mine Workers. nothing
whatever remains but q general de-
uaHl ior increased pay and rec0gni-
ton Of DE order as the agency through
which differences should be adjusted"
William S Thorne, q director OF the
( Pennsylvania Coal company. made this
statement after a talk with the COM
I1nys mine superintendent over the
long distance wire.
we operate thirteen colllerles and
all but two are closed The strike APP
pears 90 De general throughout the
Em0nug Districts. Many men have re-
3 ported in our mines but hardly enough
i 70 Justify working the two cOlleries,
e. that IL Is probable that they viii be
closed
The tle-up viii doubtless last O
week ana then the men Will begin TO
j gs' dissatisfied and viii want 10 return
70 work The miners. as far as we can
learn have not sufficient resources to
carry 900 a prolonged strike. Should
the strike continue for a long time
railroad earnings win, OF course, be af-
ffa1ti
The operators can hold out for al
least Sis months, It is our custom
10 carry on our books orders for six
months in advance We have a fair
SUPPLY 1n hand Retailers. especially
N lho country. hold good sized stocks.
think .ha situation iustines an ad-
Ilange 10 prices.
.We anticipate no trouble at our
mines. Extra watchmen have been
hired but this is the only precaution
which $50 have taken / do not think
INA. amy pauper labor win be imported
unless the strike should be prolonged"