The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-04
LACK OF CONFIDENCE.
Mr.. Wright's View of the Trouble
Between Operators and Miners.


WASHINGTON. Sept 3.-The report Of
Carroll d. Wright, the commissioner Of
labor, on the anthracite coal strike was
made public to-day. Commissioner Wright
finds that there is no confidence existing
between the employees and their employers.
This he believes is one of the chief causes
of the difficulties between the operators and
miners. Commissioner Wright suggests
that it would be reasonable and just for
the operators to concede nine-hour day
for period of six months as an expert
ment. He suggests that there should be
organized a joint commission on concilia-
ton composed of representatives of the
operators and of a new union Of anthracite
employees, to which all grievances should be
referred for investigation, and that their
decision should be final and binding upon
all parties. and that there should be no in
reference with nonunion men.
In the course of his report Commissioner
Wright says the facts seem to show that,
in contradistinction to most strikes the Of
ficers of the miners union, with perhaps
one or two exceptions, persistently opposed
the present strike, on the ground that it
will probably last all summer and entail
mine workers, as we'll as work incalculable
injury to the industrial interests of the
country. They also believed that many of
the alleged wrongs endured by the miners
might be corrected by appeals to the en-
ployers. Their attempt, however, to secure
conferences between the representatives or
the mine workers and the mine operators
proved fruitless, and the miners themselves
decided that a strike should be ordered.
Nearly all OF the operators have no con-
fidence in the ability of the miners union
to control its own members to such a de-
gree as to assist in maintaining proper dis
cipline. Some of the operators and some
of the union officers believe that no
progress Will be made toward a more peace
full condition in the mining region until an
thracite miners have union of their own.
All of the operators whom Mr.. Wright met
disclaimed distinctly that they had any an
tagonism to labor unions as such. They did
object, and most seriously, to some OF the
methods adopted by the union, and they
feel that when asked TO make a contract
with the unions the latter should put them
selves in position possible for carrying
out such contracts.
The specific demand of the union that
where miners are paid by weight 2.240
pounds shall constitute the ton represents
long-standing difficulty The miners see
little difficulty I'm adopting the system OF
payment by weight, but they claim that
they are Systematically defrauded by the
arbitrary action of the bosses who determ-
inc how much deduction shall be made for
impurities, and they especially complain
that they are defrauded when paid by the
wagon or carload. When it is shown that
a ton of coal, says Mr.. Wright, contains a
varying percentage of refuse as 1t comes
from the mine it Is difficult to see the force
of the argument why 1t should not be
weighed and the miner paid for the work
he does. At least the operators, he tn nks,
ought to share In the loss of labor in min
ing impurities.
The demand of the miners that wages be
increased 10 per cent. in the rates per ton
to those men who perform contract work
and 10 per cent. reduction in the time of
those who work by the day is backed by
the statement that after the increase which
was granted in 1900 the prices of all COM
modities in a mining region were advanced
accordingly. They urge that it is exceed
ingly difficult for them to live properly on
the present wages. The reduction of time
is put forward by the miners and backed
by the statement that their work takes
only about 200 days in a year. and for the
remainder Of the time they are practically
idle The operators meet this demand with
the statement that they are able to market
only 90 per cent. of the capacity of their
mines. and that their fixed charges, includ-
ing the pumping, care of the mines, etc,
go for twenty-four hours a day and
every day in the year. They insist that
the increase of 20 per cent. in wages which
the men demand would mean about IS
cents a ton increase. The total amount
of wages paid in the anthracite coalfields
last year, it is stated by the operators,
about SGT, 100000. The increase under
the original demand of the miners, the OPP
orators state, would be about Sao.00o,0OO