The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-11-17
STATEMENT OF LEHIGH CO.
Continued from Page ~

deposit in saving banks in the vicinity,
saved from the wages earned in the
employment of this company. The an
nual remittances to their families and
friends abroad, through agencies in the
region and vicinity, amounted to ST.
200, or more. In 1884 the company
established a beneficial fund, to which
it has contributed the sum of $780,, 1885,
and the employees s154, 76S."
During the strike of 1900, in which the
employees of the company declined to
participate. the company, in acknowl-
edgment of their loyalty, contributed
$25, 900 to the beneficial fund.
"Since then" the statement contin-
ues, most of them have joined the
union and felt bound to join in the
strike when ordered last May. No
complaint was addressed to this COM
pany, no grievance alleged and no re-
quest for higher wages made; but with
out notice the men left work in body,
against their own will and judgment,
because required to do so by the vote
Of the miners employed in other coal
fields.
1.-THE claim for a reduction of 20 per
cent. In the hours of labor, without any
reduction in earnings for all employees
paid by the hour, day or week would
be peculiarly absurd II enforced as
against this company. In point of fact
the breakers of the company are only
able to run nine hours day and not
ten. The miners only work from five
to seven hours a day and the real diff
Guilty in the region Is that contract la
Dor prices are too high, as the men
get an amount sufficient for their
wants by working less than three+
quarters of day. The men employed
by the day only work, as a maximum,
nine hours, and as many Of them con-
sumo from half an hour to an hour in
going to and from their work to the
foot of the shaft, they do not ever
work nine hours. AS illustrating the
excessive rates paid for contract work,
1t may be said that during normal con-
ditions in April of this year the men
working by contract only earned an
came probable that strike would be or
dered, the same men earned an aver
age of $4.46 day"
The company claims that payment
by weight is i1npracticable at its mines,
as each mine constitutes a distinct
problem and the conditions vary from
month to month. The only method
which has ever given satisfaction at
the company's workings, 1t Is claimed,
Is payment for cutting coal by the
lineal yard. The rate of payment can
only be determined in each particular
case between the superintendent and
the miner,
Some influence, believed to be that
of the union" the answer states, has
led the men to reduce the production
but Notwithstanding this difficulty it
remains true that the only way in
which wages can be sufficiently meas
ured is by contract for the work DONE
which necessarily varies from mine
to mine and sometimes between breasts
upon the same gangway, and even
upon the same breast from day to
day."
The company emphatically protests
against the miners demand that there
shall be an agreement with the United
Mine Workers Of America and in this
connection the answer says:
1.-THE conditions of mining in the
Lehigh and Schuylkill regions are quite
different from those which exist in the
Wyoming and Scranton districts. While
this company has no objection, there
fore, to it's own employees organizing
among themselves, it has always OBJ
iected and does object even to organi-
cation which includes other anthracite
fields, working under different systems
of compensation, as a result of which
its men are ordered upon strikes by
reason of controversies in which they
have no interest.
'It would be still more inexcusable
that any outside authority should as
sumo to interfere in the discharge of
an employee. Every free man has the
right to quit work when and as he
chooses and the employer must possess
and be able to exercise the reciprocal
right of discharge if he is to maintain
discipline"