The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-23

Markle the government reports show that the
! home value of coal produced by the an
| thracite coal companies was $1.51 per ton.
| If the G. B. Markle company could make
| profit Of over $1,0o0,000 in five years when
| the selling price of their coal at the mines
was S151, does it not seem reasonable 10
| suppose that the larger companes-whose
cost of production is necessarily less-could
| make sufficient profit in 1901. when the
| home value of their coal was $lS7 ton, 20
enable them without detriment to their DUST
ness to pay the anthracite mine workers the
small pittance asked for; by them?
| President Beers ORer Explained.
| President Beer, the recognized spokesman
| of the coal trust made the statement tnat ne
| was ready to submit the books OF the coaa
| departments for our examination, IN oroeT ~
| prove that wages could not ne lncreaseu
This proposition, on the surface, appears
| reasonable, but when dissected ana analy1eo'
| IL Is positively absurd.
| Eighty-flve or 80 per cent OF all the coa4
| produced in the anthracite regions IS from
| mines owned and operated by the various
| coal-carrying railroads; the freight charges
| for hauling q ton Of anthracite coal one mlie
| are three times as great as those OF otnei
| roads for hauling ton OF bitumlnous coal
| one mile; and as consequence, the coal de-
| partments, while actually earning enormous
! profits on legitimate business, may anu 40,
| appear to be losing money, for the reason tnal
| the railway departments ABSORB the pronts
| of the coal departments by charging the coai
| departments ,exorbitant freight rates.
The Long and the Short Ton.
| In connection with this subject, attention is
| respectfully directed to the fact that ton
| of COAL as the consumer understands IT, Is
! not ton Of coal as the miner is paid for II;
| that is to say when the consumer purchases
| ton of coal he receives 2.24O pounds, legal
| ton; when the railroad companies transport
| coal to market they receive tariff upon 2,A0
| pounds, legal ton; but when the miner is
being paid for his labor, he Is required to
produce and. load from 2,740 to $3.50 pounds
for ton.
Miners Pay Twice for Refuse. -,
| The operators say, of course, that the ex-
| cess weight is required to compensate them
for impurities and refuse matter that Is load
| ed with the coal and cannot be marketed;
but if their statement be true, why is 1t
| necessary to continue a system OF docking
by which at times they arbitrarily deduct
| from a miners earnings from 10 to Is per
cent of the total as penalty for loading
| impurities tor which they have already pen
| allied him in excess weight? -
| This recital of facts disposes OF the opera
| tors claim that they cannot afford to pay
living wages for faithful service and unceas-
| ing toll amid surroundings constantly fraught
with the sravest danger.
Many Killed Yearly.
The reports of the mine inspectors bureau
of the state of Pennsylvania show that dur
! ing the past decade the average yearly fatali-
ties in the anthracite coal mines were 4S7;
and that for the year 1901 there were 484 fatal
| and l256 nonfatal accidents. This means
that for every $4,000 tons of coal brought to
the surface, one person Is killed and more
than two seriously injured; it means that for
each day the mines are in operation. more
| than two persons lives are sacrificed and
more than five persons are injured 4 - -
Indeed, it is a matter of record that eight
times as many men and boys are killed and
| injured annually in the anthracite coal mines
| Of Pennsylvania were killed and wounded
from the American ranks in the Spanish
| American war in Cuba. rs
Miners Are Orderly.
Yet if one were to credit the stories that
| appear in the columns of the daily press 1t
would seem that the men who constantly risk
their lives working in the bowels Of the earth
were lawless class, who have no high con-
ception of the duties of American citizenship
that they have been grossly maligned is
proved by the records Of the police courts
and the testimony Of the chiefs of police de-
partments Of the four largest mining com
munities in the anthracite field, namely
Scranton, Wilkesbarre, Hazelton and Shame
kin. The reports of these cities and the
statements of the burgess and chiefs of polict
prove that there has been less infraction OIL
the law and fewer arrests during the time
: the strike has been in progress than for q
like period preceding it; in fact, person
= passing through the coal fields and mining
towns of northeastern PENNSYLVANIA woult
not know that great industrial contest is
, in progress but for the presence of a per
feet army of coal and iron police, who proud
ly display their revolvers and rifles and faun
their authority in an effort to overawe peace
full strikers or provoke them to acts of VIC
| lence. 49,
| Tried to Avoid Strike. - !
:, AS we said in the opening paragraph Of thi:
statement, we have done all that honorable
means could do both to avert and to enc
this strike. It is now apparent that the .rea
, purpose of the coal operators is to destro!
organization among their workmen. If b!
any chance they should succeed in their de
sign-which is not at all likely-another labo
organization will spring from the ruins Of tn
United Mine Workers of America, and tn
contest for living wages, for humane condi
= 7 lions Of employment for better education, TO
: higher citizenship will go on until the me'
who produce coal, the originating motive pow
er which drives the WQeelS OF commerce an
: industry, the product that is SO essential t.
the welfare of society, the mineral which i
> the very foundation of our national pros
. perity shall receive for their labor suf1cien
> compensation to relieve them Of the necessit
= of sending their boys and girls of tende
= years and frail physique to the mines an
. mills, there to destroy their youthful vigo
in an effort to assist their underpaid parent
= to maintain their families. -
e Arbitration Urged. = 1
> Conscious of the great responsibility rest
d ing upon us, apprehensive of the DANCE
u threatening commercial supremacy shoul
I the coal miners of the entire United State
o become participants in this struggle, we re
: peat our proposition to arbttrate all oues
tons in dispute; and If our premises ar
9 wrong, if our position is untenable, II gu
y demands cannot be sustained by facts and fig
: ures, we will again return to the mines. tax
up our tools of industry, and await the da
. | when we shall have more righteous caus
to, claim the approval of the American people
: p FOREIGN FLASHES
p Manila-Cholera Is spreading.