Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-11-12
Presidents From Various
Coal Roads Now
Heard From.
TAKE SAME POSITION
Baer'S Keynote is Borne
Out Ali Along the
Line.

Washington. Nov. 12.-The replies
of the presidents of the Delaware,
Lackawanna q Western, the Della
ware & Hudson and the Scranton
Coal company to President AIitchelrs
statement to the anthracite coal
strike commission were made public
today. The reports follow closely the
lines of President Baer's arugment,
all obiecting to the recognition of the
miners organization, and stating the
wages paid are just and adequate;
that it is impossible to adopt a uni
form rate to he paid the miners for
the unit coal mined at all times, and
resist the demand for an increase in
wages and reduction in hours.
The statements made for the Le-
high Valley and Pennsylvania com
panics cover the same ground as the
other statements.
Washington. Nov. H. President
Baer, of the Philadelphia and Reading
Coal and Iron company. has filed with
the anthracite coal strike commission
the reply of that company to the de-
mands made by John Mitchell, preSi-
dent OF the L. VI. w, concerning the
points involved in the anthracite coal
strike. The statement starts out by
saying that the L. and Il. company
owns thirty-seven collerieS and at the
time the strike began had 26.S29 en-
ployeS at work. 1t then denies the
justice of AIitchelIs first demand for
10 per cent. increase" in the wages of
contract and piece work men, and de-
clares that with due allowances for
differences in conditions the present
anthracite wage scale is not lower
than that paid bituminous miners.
AS to Average Annual Earnings.
In like manner the paper denies that
the anthracite wage scale = lower than
that paid in other occupations in the
same locality, etc; that the average
annual earnings are less, etc. in tho
anthracite mines. and generally all
the assertions made in MitchelFs state
ment heretofore printed. With refer
ence to average mine earnings the COM
pany's statement says: This company
is not informed as to the average an
nual earnings in the bituminous coal
fields, but ii AYERS that nearly all of its
former employees who during the past
five months worked in the bituminous
mines have returned to the anthra cite
regions, preferring to work in the an
thracite mines. And it further AYERS
that the annual earnings of the an
thracite mine workers is largely re-
duced by their refusal to work as
many days as it is customary to work
in other occupations"
Prosperity of the Miners.
Baer says further along: This COLI.
pany AYERS that it is true that the an
thracite coal regions almost entirely
dependent on the anthracite mining in
dustry) are among the most prosperous
in the United States; that employees
of temperate and economical habits
have saved money and invested their
savings in houses, building associa-
tions and other property, and that de-
poSits in savings. state and national
banks aggregating millions of dollars
have been made by such employees;
that the standard of living is equal to
that Of the average American work
men; that the towns and cities are bet
ter than any mining towns in the BIZ
luminous coal fields of the United
StateS.''