The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-09-22
A STATEMENT FROM MITCHELL
SAYS RAILROAD PRESIDENTS ARE
REAL ENEMIES OF MINERS,
They Charge Exorbitant Freight
Rates and Consume Profit that
should Go To Miners.

Hazlcton. Pa, September 21.-Prcsidonc
Mitchell tonight issued the following open
letter to the public:
laaleton Pa, September u Fully con
scious OF the vast public interests involved
by tho great contest now being %ngod be-
tween organized capital and Anderpaid labor
and as much has been said and written upon
the subject OF arbitration in tho present an
thracite coal strike, as president OF inc
United Mine Workers of America, am Inn
PEELED to defro my own attitude and the
att tude OF my official colleagues and the
striking mine workers toward the coal oper-
ators in a way so clear and definite as to
leave no further misunderstood
! The striking miners reoognizo as their real
enemies IN this struggle for slight amoora-
ton OF the hagdgr ndng conditions OF the
miners life, nine railroads the presidents or
which are: Pennsylvania railroad. A. j..
Cassett president Lehigh Valley railroad
system. Fred Walter, president. Delaware
and Hudson railroad r. NJ. Oliphant pres
! dent; Delaware, Lackdwanna ana western
railroad w. II Trucsdale, president; Cen
| trial Railroad company Of New Jersey j,
r. Maxwell PRESIDENT; Philadelphia and
heading railroad. Joseph r. Harris. pres-
dent. Erie railway and New YORK susque-
hama AID Western railroad +. II. hoinas;
president Delaware Susquehanna ana
Scnuylkill company. Irving A. Siearns, pres
ident; New York, Ontario and Western rail-
read T. b. Fowler, p-eside-t
These nine railroad competitions. besides
producing approximately ~ per cent OF tue
hard coat AFRO the sole carriers 20 TIDE water
OF ALI coal mined in the Anthracite held OF
Pennsylvania aud for this service OF car
rage charge from 40 10 6S per cent per ton,
Incredible as IL may appear they cnal ~
three times as much 10 carry ton OF an
thraoito coal 100 miles rs 10 charged 70 carry
p ton OF b.tumuOun coal the same dlsta nte'
So exorbitant arc the rates fhat inc ieeltl-
mate profits which should BE- credited 10 inc
mining departments q these railroads are
absorbed bv freight rates ana rs a conse'
uuenco their coal properties are maui ~
show a very small profit on tnef cSpild'fa-
on.
II this is the state Of AFFAIRS with the raii'
road mining departments, what IS the condl
ton e. the independent OPERATOR is u no
a matter OF reason that he can DO nothlnt
which his railroad master VIII not com
mend? Is Il not a matter OF pubic noUo'
rlcty that he does nothing whlch tne ran
roads do not sanction? Therefore Wnelhe,'
OI not individual operators see IN the faiI
road monopolies their great enemies; wheth
er or not the individual operators reel them
selves free to mike common cause agalns
these railroad system; speaking ioI -. ~
1870 GOO mine workers this day on strike, re
cognizt these railroads as our real enemies
and name their presidents az the men re-
gponsibe for refusal 10 arbitrale or eNel
confer upon tue dlHflNhc's nhi'il Hn -
up, not between them and the organization
represent but between them and their owl
emnioyes
We can only regard such independent oprT
alors as G b. Markle Co in the light o
fellow victims suffering under eScessN
ireighf rates as we suffer from low wage
and inhrnan conditions Of employment. Evel
were the board OF arbitration In the MARK
Ease to award all the men desired that awari
could he lived UP to by Msrkle only so lonl
rs the strike continued elsewhere. Wage
fixed on a sliding scale would only remall
high while there was scarcity OF coal OF