The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-10-24
THE MINERS DEMANDS.

Now that the Pennsylvania Goa strike
is about yer and a commission has
been appointed to pass upon the points
at issue between the contestants, the
question is asked: What are the dis
puted matters to come before the ar
bitration board? The New York Even
ing Post gives the following as the
demands of the strikers, whose refusal
by the coal operators precipitated the
strike:
THE first is that there shall be an in
crease of 20 per cent. in wages to men
who are paid by the ton. These are the
certificated miners who cut the coal,
n blast it for loading on cars. The
laborers who place it on cars and send
it to the pits mouth are hired by the
miners, and paid by them. The strike
originated in a demand for an increase
of pay by laborers, not by the miners.
1.-THE second demand was for a reduc-
ton of the hours of labor on the part
of employees who are paid by the day.
This was practically a demand for a
day of eight hours instead of ten. at
the same wages as before.
The third demand related to the
weighing of coal. The miners asked
IioI -.-fo pOOiiuS SIOuIl constitute d
ton on which payment is based for all
coal paid by weight.
These demands having been rejected
by the operators, the miners subse-I
quently offered to accept one-half-that
is. 10 per increase in wages and a.
nine-hour working day. This offer was
refused, and then the miners proposed
to refer the whole matter to arbitration|
and to abide by the result for threel
wears This offer was a 1cn rejected andl
the strike was ordered on the 10th of
May last"
At the time of the strike the laborersl
it is said. worked from twelve to FOUR
teen hours a day and the miners had toI
get out over three thousand pounds of
coal to earn pay for a ton. These wereI
the chief grievances the employesl
claimed to have against their employ
ers. All the While the latter were
claiming that no grievances existed.
These, though, are by no means all or
the most difficult questions the board
will nave to decide. There are many
other points, such as difference in rules
and compensation governing different
mines and even different veins and sec
lions of the same mine. Under the
present mining rules each miner has to-
furnish his own tools, oil and powder.
These and all his home necessaries hel
has to buy from the company at most
exorbitant prices. 1t is expected that
all these matters and mary other knot
ty questions will come up before the
board for settlement. The arbitrators
have a difficult task before them andl
one that will consume much time.
This, of course, is based upon the sup
position that the miners at their con-
vention on Monday will ratify the ac-
ton of their president n executive
boards. 1t will be remembered, though,
that the strike was inaugurated in spite
of the opposition of President Mitchell.
At a convention of miners held inI
Hazelton last May to consider the
question of ordering the men out hel
strongly advised against UGH action,
but was overruled and the strike order
ed. The strike was not brought about
by the union leaders, but was purelyl
the result of the u~ninfiuenced action Of
the miners. In the present matter the
vice of their leaders. They have grownl
pretty tired of the strike and will be;
glad to return to work if they can do!
So without backing down from the po-I
sition taken when they went on strikeI
five months ago..