The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-11-13


operators of the Lackawanna ant
| Wyoming regions:
| Scranton, Pa, Nov. G, 1902
To the Anthracite Coal Strike Commits
| sion.
Gentlemen: We beg to submit the an
| swer of the independent operators of the
4 Lacka wanna and Wyoming region to the
demand of our employees for higher rate
| of wages and shorter hours. To their de-
| mand for a uniform increase OF ~ per
| cent. for contract miners, and an equiva-
| lent increase to all other help employed,
| in the way Of shorter hours, we affirm
| that the scale of wages now in force Is
| such as to enable the dligent and skill
| tu miner to earn more per hour than any
class of labor. skilled or unskillcd, en-
ployed in the cities and towns wherein
our mines are located.
| Previous to the advent of the Union of
| Mine Workers, the hours of labor and the
| number of cars produced per shift. was
optional with the miner and his daily
| or annual earnings were entirely under
| his own control and varied with his idea
| of the proper standard of living. Since
| the advent of the union of miners, the
hours of his labor have remained entirely
optional with him, allowing him to work
as few hours as he may see fit restricting
| him only to a certain number of cars to
| be sent out in any one day. We assert,
| and it is our purpose to prove to the en-
tire satisfaction, we believe, of your hon
orable commission, that the rate of wages
| now paid per hour to the contract miner,
| If he is diligent and Industrious is greater
| than that paid to any skilled or un.
| skilled labor in the cities ard towns in
which he lives, and are sufficiently ample
| to furnish him means not only to educate
his children and live as becomes an
J,,ti I,tx 1.lx.
by sufficient means to support himself in
| his old age.
If we are successful in the presentation
\ of facts and figures to your honorable
commission which will substantiate ollr
contention we believe that the rate Of
wages paid and the hours worked should
not be disturbed.
| We herewith answer in detail the state
ments presented by the miners to your
honorable commission:
Not Fact.
| First-The present rate of wages is
| much lower than the rate of wages paid
! in the bitumnous coal fields for substan-
| TALLY similar work.
/ This is not a statement of fact. The
| earnings per hour of the anthracite miner
are greater than the earnings per hour
of the bituminous miner as can be shown
by comparison.
Second-The present rate of wages is
lower than is paid in other occupations
| requiring equal skill and training.
In presenting our answer TO this state
mont it is difficult for Obvious reasons,
to determine upon any class of labor
which is suitable for purposes of compari-
son: notwithstanding that it requires less
preparatory training to qualify man to
be licensed miner than is required in
any of the other skilled trades. Despite
this condition it will he shown by COM
parisOn that the earnings of the miner per
hour equals and in most cases exceeds the
wages of the skilled workman in other
branches of trade in this vicinity.
rhird-'rhe average annual earnings in
the anthracite coal fields are much less
than the average annual earnings in the
bituminouS coal fields for substantially
similar work.
This statement is practically answered
by our reply to the first demand From
the fact that the miner controls his own
time of employment, the equitable way to
arrive at his wages. is to consider the
number of hours he works per day which,
as We have stated, is entirely within his
own control We believe that we can
show to the satsfact of your honor
able commission, that based on the ac-
tual number of hours worked by the
miner in any one year his annual earn
ngs are greater than the annual earn
nGs of the miner in the bituminous field
for the same number or hours.
Fourtll-The average annual earnings IN
the anthracite coal fields arc much less
than the average annual earnings for oc-
cupation requiring equal skill and train
ing.
TO answer this statement we beg to call
the attention of Your honorable commits
sion, to that which we have already
stated with regard to the amount of
time which tho miner puts in at his work.
AS We have said, the mine, controls alb
solutely his own time. The rate of was-s
he Is paid is high and whether his bullicd
earnings for Il year are larger or smaller
than those of occupations requiring equal
skill and training is condition for which
the time the miner is willing to devote To
his work is responsible and for which
the operator in no wise can be held to ac-
count.
Statement Misleading.
Fifth-The rate of wages in the anthra.
cite coal fields is Insufficient to conf
perSate the mine workers in view of the
dangerous character of the occupation,
In relation to accidents. the liability 10
permanent disease, the big death rate,
and the short trade life incident to this
employment.
We submit that this statement is mis-
leading and incorrect, (D The rate of
wages paid in the anthracite fields is COM
mensuratc with the danger of the occupa-
ZION, and is moreover much higher than
the rate of wages paid in other occupa-
ions which statistics conclusively prove
are more hazardous. (bJ So far as the
deleterious effect of coal work on the
general health of the miner is concerned,
we beg TO sumbit paper herewith at
tached exhibit AZ which is signed by a
number of miners employed at a certain
colliery in this city.
liere is inserted the petition circulated
by the Sloan miners in the interests of II
candidate for mine inspector in which il
is shown that 6O of the 80 signers worked
AT the mine for twenty years or over,
twenty for forty years or over and five
Tor fifty years or oyer.)
SiNth-rhe annual earnings of the mine
workers are insufficient To maintain the
American standard of living
We have already shown wherein the
miner himself controls entirely the num-
her of hours which he shall work, and so
directly the bulked earnings which he re-
ceives per day or month Moreover We
claim, and have stated, that the oppor-
tunity is afforded the miner to earn suf-
ilcicnt wages 10 educate his children, lay
aside a provision for his old age, and live
meanwhile according To The American
standard If. with these conditions oh
tanning The miner does not live according
to the customary American standard, we
believe IL fair to assume that the man
ner of his living is that which he elects
as his own standard, The high plane of
American living is due entirely TO the
thrift, industry and economy of the great
mass of American people.
Seyenth-rhe increased cost of living
has made ii impossible to maintain a fair
of life upon the basis of present
wages, and has not only prevented the