Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-09-04
PRESIDENT BAER ON STRIKE
0ompany's Executive Answers
Quay and PenrOss.
DECLARES MINERS WAGES ARE HIGH
Tells the Senators that 70 Raise the
Figure Means 20 Force Public to
Use BItuminous Instead
of Anthracite.

ra,. ADELPHIA, Sept s.-President
IT,, '7aer Of the Reading company and
Una u. Senators Quay and Penrose
held II renee this afternoon in the
executive he Reading company in
this city in anthracite coal min
ers' strike was hly discussed, At
the conclusion OF conference President
Baer issued lengthy reply to the two sen
ators. Among other things he said:
Il recognize that It is your right and your
duty as senators, representing the great
state Of Pennsylvania to do whatever can
legitimately be done to end strike that so
seriously affects business and brings so
much suffering to the women and children
Of the coal regions. The newspapers story
that said The strike was a private affair
which did not concern the public, is a reck-
less fabrication.
Rights in the Case.
Now, what l have said. is that the man
agement Of the business belong to the own
ers In the case Of the coal companies the
law casts the management on the directors
and officers, whose responsibility is to their
stockholders, to the state and to the public.
The right Of the stockholders is to have
investment The obligation to the state is
to conduct the business in strict conformity
to the laws it has established. The duty to
the public is. so far as practicable, to con-
duct the business SO as to add to the com
mon welfare.
"The coal operators say they cannot mine
coal because the miners make demands
which render it impossible to mine coal
probably, and the state has enacted laws
prohibiting the employment of men in the
mines unless they have worked two years in
anthracite mines and therefore they cannot
for the time being mine coal How, then,
under these circumstances, can there be
any violation OF public duty? II we yield to
the extravagant demands OF the miners we
will lose money. If we attempt to increase
the price Of coal we will destroy the indus
tries depending on anthracite fuel If we
increase the price on the domestic sizes we
will be called robber barons, oppressors Of
the poor, monopolists and enemies Of man
kind.
Makes Four Propositions.
I'VE have concluded, therefore, that our
duty to ourselves and to the public will best
Sc served by standing firmly on these prop
ositions:
First-That the wages paid in the an
thracite coal regions are, compared with
the wages paid in like employment, fair
and Just, and that men willing to work
honestly can earn more money on the pres
ent basis of wages than in any other In
dustry engaged In producing common arti-
cles of necessity in the United States.
Second--That wages cannot be increased
without increasing the price Of coal and e
increase the prize q coal VII S restrict Nm. hs
minous coal a cheaper and more abundant
| fuel, and that restricted market will cur.
| tail production and result in depriving the
miners of regular employment.
Third-That we are not fighting labor or,
| ganizstions. We fully recognize the righ'
from oppression and to benefit themselves
| iE any legitimate way, but We do oppose
their unreasonable interference with the
| discipline and orderly management of oul
business. We will not permit them to Sc
lect our employees. Neither politics, reig
! organizations shall bar any competent MAI
| from working for us. We are fighting thu
/ battle of freedom for the individual anC
| his right to labor on his own terms.
Fourth-That II is by reason of varying
| conditions at each mine impracticable tC
adopt a uniform scale of wages for thu
| whole region, but at each colliery ever!
complaint will be taken up and invesu
| gated by the superintendents and adjusted
@HgafSa To- Mitchell and his his district Presidents {;
| go with them and investigate any grieV
| ance.
Nothing to Arbitrate.
'You see, senator's, none of these thing
| can be the subject OF arbitration. Yo,
| cannot arbitrate a question of wages wheI
an increase will destroy the business AM
a decrease will be unacceptable to tn
workmen. We cannot arbitrate a question
as to whether mining operation and bus
mess generally shall be managed under tn
common sense rule of law and equity b.
the owners and the servants Trey have Sc
lected, or by a labor organization. Yoi
cannot arbitrate the right to protect you
property and your workmen from the mo
rule of labor organizations who boldly pro
claim a purpose to destroy property an,
endeavor to make their proclamation effec
tive by killing and injuring their fellow
workmen who refuse to Join in their law
lessness. When John Mitchell ordered tn
engineers, iremen and pumpmen to deser
their posts he knew that unless the opera
tors could supply their places the mine
would be destroyed. and with their de
struction 100000 men with their wives an
children dependent upon their labor woul
be deprived Of work for a long time.
''The operators were compelled to EN-
ploy police at their own expense to guar
the new men employed to man the pump
to save their mines. The guards and tn
law authorizing them are denounced, an
when private citizens like Beddall ar
murdered the state authorities are de
nounced for sending troops 10 preserve tn
peace. Today that gallant soldier, Genera
Goblin who fought with such distinction Il
our civil war, and than whom no juste
man lives. is bitterly maligned for pro
teeting the property and lives OF Pennsyl
vania citizens. Can such questions be ar
bitrated?"
willing to show Books.
President Baer devotes considerabl
space to the attempts at arbitration mad
by the Civic Federation. He says ever
phase Of the case was fairly and fully dis
cussed and that the coal companies offere
TO produce any books that would thro,
any light on the matter. showed the bal
ance sheets Of various companies, pointe
out that the three anthracite eoal-carryin
companies, the Reading. Lehigh Valley an
Erie had not paid dividends on their stoc
for years, produced the records shown
coal sales and showed how 40 per cent 0
the anthracite coal is sold in the marke
below the cost Of mining. The reply con
cludes as follows.
You see, senator's, We have discussed thi
whole subject fully and have endeavoret
TO show you that sound business manage
ment makes Il impossible 10 increase wages
We know that the wages are fair and rela
lively high, and that IN the leaders OF tn