The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-11-14
SAYS DEMANDS ARE UNJUST
Claims Anthracite Region Is One Of
Most Prosperous in the
United States.

adelphia & Reading Coal company,
to the charges of President Mitchell
of the United Mine Workers, which
has been presented to the anthracite
ccr,l strike commission was today
given to the public. Mr.. Baer makes
no reference to Mr.. Mitchell as the
president of the miners organization,
but refers to him as an individual.
Taking up the specifications in Mr..
Mitchell's charges seriatim, Mr.. Baer
first admits that his company owns
81 collieries and that before the strike
it employed 26,S29 people. Following
is a brief summary of the response to
Mr.. Mitchell's other specifications:
X. Second-The demand for 20 per
cent increase in wages on piecework
is denounced as arbitrary, unrea-
sonable and unjust" The company
contends that after making all neces
sary allowance for different condi
tions that the rate of wages paid for
the mining of anthracite coal is as
high as that paid in the bituminous
coal fields.
Third-The company denies that
the present scale Of wages is lower
than is paid in other occupations in
the same locality and controlled by
like conditions.
Fourth and Fifth-Mr. -Baer denies
that the earnings of the anthracite
workers are less than average earn
ings for other occupations requiring
skill and training and also the charge
that the earningss are insufficient be-
cause of the dangerous character of
work in the anthracite mines.
Sixth-This specification made by
Mr.. Mitchell is referred to as too
vague for specific answer, but in a
general way it is stated that the an
thracite regions are among the most
prosperous in the United States.
Seventh-The company pronounces
as unjust and inequitable the demand
for reduction of 20 per cent in hours
of labor without a reduction Of earn
ings for time employees and this de-
mand is pronounced impracticable. In
this connection the following state
ment is made:
Because of the injury to the mines
by the strike of the United Mine
Workers the cost of producing coal
has been greatly increased and a
temporary advance in price was made
by this company, but it would be i'm
practicable to continue such increase
when mining operations become nor
mall"
Eighth-Mr. Baer says that his
company has no disagreement with
any of it's employees about the weigh
ing of coal, because the quantity is
usually determined by measurement
and not by weight.
Ninth-Replying to the fourth de-
mand made by Mr.. Mitchell, Mr.. Baer
says since the advent of the Uni ed
Mine Workers organization into the
anthracite fields, business conditions
there have been intolerable; that the
output of the mines has decreased !;
that discipline has been destroyed; ;
that strikes have been of almost daily
occurrence; that men have worked
when and as they please, and that the
cost of mining has been greatly in.
creased. He also takes the position
that the jurisdiction of the commits
sion is limited to the conditions nam
ed by the coal company presidents,
which excludes the United Mine
| Workers from any recognition in the
proceedings. He says, however, that
| whenever a labor organization linn
| tied to anthracite mine-workers is
created which shall obey the law
respect the right of every man to
work and honestly cooperate with en-
ployers, trade agreements may be-
come practicable"
Other Answers.
! Washington, Nov. 12.-That the five
anthracite coal mine owners will re-
sist to the utmost the effort to make
the recognition of the United Mine
Workers of America an issue in the
arbitration which is now in progress
is made evident by the replies to the
statement of President John Mitchell
l,ot the Miners organization, which