New-York tribune., 1900-09-17

| Philadelphia from whom they buy anu WI" hh"''
the dangers Of a credit business when so many men
/ are idle with million hungry mouths 10 leSu'
DEMANDS OF MEN.
| This is what the men demand: Powder shall be
reduced from 81 10 to 81 50 kes. Company oOe'v'
| and compulson to pay shall be abolished Co'tpH
ance with the State law, which says all lnuus'''a
concerns shall pay their employees semi-monthy W IN
cash That all coal shall be weighed. and that zz"
| pounds Oegal weight shall constitute Ton Nv
! miner shall have at any time more than one ~ u'e.
/ gangway or working place, and shall not se' i
| than an equal share OF or work e"eoN
! weighman shall be hired by the miners ana pei
! mtted to represent them at the head Oh eoc
| breaker and see that the weight Is coIIeIt ~
! the dockage fair All classes OF day laooi III e
| around the mines shall be advanced IN wages
+bus. Those receiving less than 81 so day. 20 per
cent: those receiving from 81 80 to 81 'o 10 per ce
and all receiving more than 81 IS to oe advanced
| 10 per cent. >r
In addition a special scale has been drawn TOT
| ta,rr :, ye,rs of dinerent widths, making gang
WAYS and crosscuts opening chambers removing
rocks timbering and constructing PLATFORM cH"'es
and brattices The prices are slightly IN excess o
those that have prevailed. John Fahey, presloent
Of the United Mine workers OF the counties OF
northumberland SchuylkH. Columbia and Dau-
phin IN an interview. said relative to the strike;
The miners think that as business proposition. t
the Philadelphia and Reading CEai ane roP of diner
eences between employer and employed, as proposed
by the miners because the Reading mas Sermitng rD
It's men to deal where they please and de- ch9Tgcs 9gsct
hs 90 hes 6Sr pfsaa4sme6t aa
Of coal from the miners While sem fno to es do away
with the sliding scale and and to soaEgcey amount to 10
per cent and a few minor concessions that wouIa1
In themselves be conducive to better "a York *
about the mines.
The attitude Of the owners Of the mines IS well
shown In the position OF the operators and coal
companies of the shamokin district They say:
Out Of coal operators tor Pba R hs as,6ba d
en6 s[6' Readns Railway companies. own the ma
ority If the upper region peGPdie hsve S VIII
not tolerate Western labor leaders to come 70 tnis
and Gas Of It e Is Wes are mat the
back the present movement to plunge the entire
land County. to Carbondae Carbon County, into
general strike Needless Of disastrous consequences
fienp would open a boundess field for the sale OF
on o4s e a2d nh coat at
consumer becomes attached to bituminous COAL he
It is Claimed by the United Mine WORKERS that
% owh the to ad Se pToPosed o. srke #
gion hard coal men In the past refused 70 Join IN IN
Dsfrict' how can hard coal miners expect men
rs to them ous and Of TRe pre
ent agitation for conference Wi De & Sf no s aUaI
@ operSb0d6S body II strike must come the quicker
it is fought the better II will be for all con
do not want to cease work, 1t would seem that the
strike once called will II II materialzes' oe OF an
abortive nature
In the Lackawanna Valley the operators have not
waited for the strike order TO take effect Some OF
the largest collieres have already closed down
The men have been paid OF. and the owners say
that some OF the mines Will never resume-that
they have not paid for years The company stores
have refused all further supplies to these employees
and the practical effect OF strike is already felt
The exodus Of foreigners from the anthracite
region has caused a dearth Of workmen at the
collieries and some have been unable to secure
enough men properly clean their coal The
collierles work few hours each day, and then
short OF a great many Of the foreign labor
ers were making so very low wages that they were
compelled TO leave, and they have gone 70 the
Western bituminous fields.
SPECIAL GRIEVANCE OF THE MEN
One OF the most serious grievances OF the miners
is the company store. Three years ago serious
but unorga nized strike occurred principally owing
to the company store system, which eliminated IN
the terrible shooting affray at Latmer. and in the
troops being ordered out. Later a State law for
bidding corporations to stores passed,
but the private company stores. the of all
the trouble were entirely disregarded. If the Leg
isature OF the State would revise the law
10 make It apply 10 the smaller concerns, and
what is important still. II they would see
that the law Is enforced. the whole company store
trouble would become ancient history.
The company doctor is another complaint that
the miners bring forward. Many of the smaller
companies tax their men 90 or 70 cents month for
80 services Of the company doctor whether they
him or not The only remedy for this evil is
by resort TO the Legislature. in the of the
stores.
The company butcher ia on a par with the doctor
He charges what he likes delivers his meat when
he likes, travelling around his district In a wagon
and often serving what he likes whether families
want it not. and the money is stopped out Of
the miners pay. The company butcher exists
only in the remote districts, but there still
many OF them.
The powder question is the most serious one.
The men are charged 81 70 a keg for powder that
costs 80 cents. That powder may mine them
twenty-five of coal or it may mine them less
than enough to pay for itself. That all depends
upon the mine boss The allowed to work
one two, three four days a week. and half a
day all day, not at all. the operators may
decide But they report for duty every day.
The operators admit that they sell powder for
much more than II costs them and explain 1t by
tayng that more than ten years ago the employers
and their agreed upon certain scales OF wages
10 be paid in each Vein the miners wage scale
containing understanding that powder was to be
purchased from the company at 81 rs a keg. At
that time the price meant small pront This
scale has remained in force ever since. The selling
price of coal has varied in the time from
that in 1898 to the Improbable figures Of
! 1895 The cost Of mining has largely increased
through the exhaustion Of upper veins and the ex-
! pense Of opening, hoisting and pumping from deep
! veins as well as the greater cost Of machinery
suitable for their ventilation, heavier props, waste
! in larger pillars and numerous other The
operators say they willing to lower the price OF
! powder but IL they do so they must in order TO
maintain their margin of profit lower the wages.
! The union has demanded the reduction OF powder
to 81 50 a keg and increase of 20 per cent in the
| wages.
Shortage OF anthracite coal in the great cities OF