Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-12
REPLIES TO MITCHELL
STATEMENTS FILED BY THE COAL
OPERATORS.
Demand for More Pay and Shorter
Work Day Resisted-WiH Not
Recognize the Union.


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 of the miners organization,
which have been filed with the strike COM
mission. There are five of these answers IN
addition to that of President Baer, Whlch
was given out yesterday, and all dWeu
with especial emphasis and marked una
nimity on this point. They also agree IN I
resisting the demands of the miners for an
increase of pay for piece work, reduction
of hours for time work and for the weigh
ing rather than the measurement of coal.
Recorder Wright left for the anthracite
regions today, taking these replies with
him. In addition to the statements made
for the Reading company by President
Baer, the list comprises the replies Of the
Delaware and Hudson company, the Della
ware and Lackawanna, the Lehigh Valley,
the Pennsylvania and the Scranton Coal
Company.
The reply for the Delaware and Lacka-
wanna Company to President Mtchelrs
statement to the anthracite coal strike COM
mission was made public today. 1t is signed
by w. H Truesdale, president of the COM
pany, who says that the company OWES
rloys 1900 workmen in this branch of its
business Mr.. Truesdale, like Mr.. Baer, OBJ
jects to making the recognition of the union
one of the issues to be considered by the
commission, saying that in the proposition
made by the company for arbitration one of
the express conditions was that the find
irgs of the commission should govern the
conditions of employment between it and
its employees" He adds:
Will Not Recognize q. M. w.
This company uneGuivocaily asserts that
it will under no condition recognize or enter
into any agreement with the association
known as the United Mine Workers of
America or any branch thereof. Nor will it
permit said association or its officers 20
dictate the terms and conditions under
which it shall conduct it's business.
Referring to the recent strike, Mr.. Trues-
dale says that he Is reliably informed that
50 per cent of it's employees were opposed to
the strike but were forced to enter upon
it by majority vote of the Mine Workers
in other fields Mr.. Truesdale follows close
ly the lines of Mr.. Baer's argument as to
the dissimilarity between the work in the
anthracite mines and that in the bituminous
mines.
Cannot Have Uniform Rate.
He declares that it is impossible to adopt
uniform rate to be paid to the miner for
unit Of coal mined at all mines. The declar-
alton also Is made that the anthracite
miners rule do not work as many hours
a day as do the bituminous miners, and the
opinion is advanced that If tine wages of the
anthracite miners had been less than that of
other workingmen they would have found
employment elsewhere, which they did not
do. On the point of general prosperity, he
says that prior to the Introduction of ag-
tators and mischief-makers the anthracite
workers were on an average as prosperous,
comfortable and contelted as any body of
workers in similar employment in this coun-
try The wages, it is added, are such that
frugal employees have saved substantial
amount every year.
MI Truesdale resists the demand for
reduction of 20 per cent In hours of labor
saying that no such branch Of business
employing thousands of men can hope to
compete successfully in the markets of the
world IL its hours of labor are restricted.
He declares that there Is no unjust dis
elimination in the weighing of COAL as it
Is measured rather than weighed. and he
asserts that the demand is ''out of all rea-
son, and its effect so far as this company
is concerned. is a demand for an additional
increase IN wages now paid miners of from
TO ~ per cent The present method of
measurement is declared to be the result of
long usage and fair to all concerned
President ELEPHANTS Statement.
President Oyphant of the Delaware and
AAuNooii NoAApdHy III Ills reply declares tnaC
the wages paid by his company are Just
and adequate. He also says that those of
it's employees who perform contract or piece
work, as matter Of their own volition
work only about six hours a day and take
numerous holidays without the consent or
approval of this respondent. and their earn
ings, by hours of actual work, are there
fore much higher than those in any similar
employment" Denial is made of all the
allegations in connection with the demand
for shorter hours, and 1t is contended that
such reduction necessarily would increase
| the price of coal. While admitting that the
mine owners sell their coal by the ton, he
says that the coal thus sold is very differ
ent article from that taken out of the mine.
Hence, he contends against the change
from the present system of payment to
that of paying by the ton.
President Olyphant also takes exception
| to the proposition to arbitrate the question
| of the recognition of the miners union.
| This position is placed on the ground that
| the organization seeks to control the entire
| fuel supply of the country; that as the
union is 'unincorporated it is incapable Of
| making binding contract, and that the
| association has shown it's inability to con-
| troll its own members. He says his company
| has no desire TO discriminate against mem
| bers of the union.
President FowIer's Reply.
President T. P. Fowler speaks for the
scranton Coal Company and the Elk Hill
| Coal and Iron Company. He says they own
| ten collieries and work 5000 men. He as
| serts that if the average wage earned by
| the anthracite piece workers Is less than
| that paid to workers in other employment
| it is because they fix their own hours of
| labor and the amount of their earnings
| without any regard for the interests or
wishes of their employers, and in total dis
| regard of the earnings and welfare of every
| other class of employees
He declares that the men in the mines do
| not work to exceed four or five hours a
| day.
| All other charges made by Mr.. Mitchell
| are combatted, and ON the question of
| miners unions Mr.. Fowler says:
I'VE deny that agreements between en-
| ployers and employees through working
| mems organizations are beneficial and sue
| cessful in the bituminous coal fields or else
| where. and assert that any such agree
| ment method of regulating production
| would be and is injurious to the best inter-
| ests of the public"
Other Statements.
The statements made for the Lehigh VAL
4 ley and the Pennsylvania companies cover