Arizona silver belt., 1900-09-20
THE COAL MINERS STRIKE.

One of the greatest labor strikes in the history of this country was inaugu- rated in the anthracite coal region of Pennsylvania, on Monday last. when ll2, OOO men quit work, which number it Is expected will be increased to IS, GOO. The national executive board, United Mine Workers of Americs, issued state. ment from which we take the following:
 That the world may know that We have done all that honorable men can do to avold the conflict, We herewith submit few facts for careful consid- eration.
 The average wages of the anthracite coal miner for many years have been less than S250 annually. During that period of time the cost of many of the necessaries of life has been increased 20 per cent. An increase in the cost of living without cores bonding in- crease of wages Is equivalent to re duction in wages.
 ''The laws of the state of Pennsyl- vania make 2,400 pounds ton of au- thracite coal, yet anthracite coal miners are compelled to mine from ?, 700 tu i,000 pounds for ton, and in addition to that are docked exorbitant amounts, often reaching l2 per cent of their daily earnings for any impurities which may be sent out with their coal. Where they are paid by the cHr, instead of being required to furnish we'll rounded heap on the car at the break CTS as was originally agreed to, they have gradually been compelled to in- crease the amount of coal in each car by building the same perpendiculArly from six to eighteen inches above the edge. They are compelled to purchase the powder used in miuing from their employers, paying S2. 75 per keg tor grade of powder that can he purchased elsewhere for Sl 50 per keg, and which wholesales for about Sl per keg. They are required by many of the companies to deal in ''pluck me" stores or leave their employment They must pay to the company Sl per month for Il doctor whether they need him or not, and have DO voice in saying who the doctor shall be-
 The smallness of their earnings, to- gGther with the great cost of living, has compelled them to take their chi. d den from school before they have reached the age prescribed by law aud place them at work in the breakers in order to keep the family from starva- tion.
 "When any miner, feeling the bur- den Of these conditions, has gone to the management and asked to have them removed, he has been told that if he does not like 1t he can quit When they have organized at any col fiery and have sent committees to the management asking to have their griev- ances remedied, the committee has either been discharged or it has been told that the evils could not be rem. edied because of the competition from other companies. When the represen. tatives of the miners of the whole re- zion have met and asked the coal com panies to meet them in joint conven- tion to arrange wages and conditions upon an equitable basis, so that each man would know what his competitor was paying, and no advantage could be taken of any one, their petition for a conference has been completely ig- nored.
 "When the business men, clergymen and other outside influences have ap. pealed to the coal companies to correct some of the evils complained of their requests have been denied, and when as last resort the officers of our organization have wired the presidents of the great railroad companies, who