The National tribune., 1902-06-19
THE COAL STRIKE.
An Explanation of the Origin of the Troub1.
By an Expert.

comprehensive review of the situ..
ton in the anthracite coal regions is nrint-
ed IN recent issue of the Engineerine
and Mining Journal in the form Of ed;,
torlal correspondence
The writer says that the first tbins
winch lmpresses one who tries to get !
s!;teinent OF grievances from the minerS
Side Is the variety of the grievances al,
legged. From long experience, he adds the
mine officials are familiar with these com,
plants and see in their variety that tbs
men really have no grievance
IL Is pointed out that the United Mine
workers of America hardly has the right
as yet to call itself n benevolent organizes
ton. 1t does not pay death benefits and
mas never made systematic payments ia
the men kept from work by a long strike
us men are scattered over so much coun-
try and. are of so many nationalities and
the conditions under which they work ara
so diverse in different parts of the coal
region that it is impossible to hold them
together
Says the Engineering and Mining jour
nails correspondents:
There is. therefore. but a very slight
sense of unity among them, and they cas-
be held together only by the sense Of d.
rect benefits received For this reason
the officials of the union, to keen the men
in line, must every year or so make de-
mands on employers for higher wages, or.
what is practically the same thing. foi
shorter hours. These demands must be
cumulative. for any recession or any weak
erinS by the officials means a large de-
sertion of the rank and file. The demands
must not only be cumulative but every
demand If followed by a strike must re-
suit IN some direct gain to the men,
On the other hand. the correspondent
points out. the miners have not kept their
promise made last year to stop frivolous
strikes. There have been 12S strikes in
the anthracite districts since then. One
mine was tied up because a boy who had
brutally abused mule was discharged.
AT another 800 men remained away from
work for week because drunken break
er boss was discharged. The writer says
that as result of the great numerical
strength of the union and the settlement
IN their favor year ago. the general tone
of the miners toward their employers be-
came insOlent, they refused to obey orders
and worked less effectively. Some of thu
collieries have fallen off 40 per cent. PEI
man in their prOductiveness
The real cause of the strike is the de.
termination of the operators to resist any
farther demands from the union, becausau
they realize that the slightest concession
will lead to further demands. The cost
of keeping the colleries idle is great.
amounting in some cases to 81 500 day.
The miners always feel that this gives
them great advantage in a contest with
the operators. The correspondent goes on
to say:
Under such conditions it is apparent
that great strike was bound to come; the
only question was when. 1t is often asked
why the miners did not wait till Septem-
Der. when political complications might
help them and the specter of a coal famine
with Winter approaching rouse public
clamOr. The answer is that there is more
or less jealousy among the leaders of the
Union. and all feared loss of prestige IL
after all the parleying a strike had been
delayed several months. Again the min
ers in the Lehigh region are credited with
being eager for trial of strength.
From these considerations it is clear
that the present strike is, so to speak. an
irrepresSibe conflict The mine superiu-
tendents generally have bitterly regretted
the settlements due to political considera-
lions of the strike in 1900. There are no
political questions whatever in the present
conflict, however. if the motives of certain
members of the Civic Federation be e1-
cepted.
THE three chief grievances alleged by
the HaZleton convention of representatives
from the various locals of the Miners
Union are these. and for them the striks
was declared: First, an eight-hour day for
all men on company account: second. coal
mined to be weighed and the miner paid
by weight instead of by the car. 2,24O
pounds making 4 ton: third, recognition Of
the uniOn.'
The first grievance was put out to catch
the engineers. prmpmen and firemen. who
work for II hours Il day. The engineers
and pumpmen have comparatively easy
work and easy hours ana some of them
get as much as 500 Il month: the firemen
are overworked and underpaid and their
wages would undoubtedly have been rais-
ed soon without strike. The second de-
mand is disposed of by an explanation
of the varying quality of the stuff with
which miner may fill car. He may
cover over the top of the car with good
coal and fill up the bottom with heavy
weight slate. The third demand means
more arrogance and more incompetence.