The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-09-29

Qds. II We 4ESi eBdEU dAl AllllS N uI HSIS whose labor might be saved by such appliances and take simply the output per certfficated and employed miner, We find that the production per miner was l.271 tons in 1897. 1.296 tons in 1898, 1883 tons in 1899. 1891 tons in 1909, while in the year 1901 it was 1855 tons I refer MT. Baer to the annual reports of the Pennsylvania State Bureau of Mines. and ask if these figures do not refute the statement that organization in the coal mines is inimicaI to good workmanship.
 Since the very inception of this strike the aims, objects and ideals of the United Mine Workers of America have been wiIfully distorted by small army of critics. We have been unjust ly malisned and our motives and pur- poses maliciously impugned. We there fore take this opportunity to repeat specifically that We do not seek to in- terfere with the management of the coal properties or with the proper dis cipline of the working force; but We do demand
 "First-An increase in wages for men employed on piece work.
 'Second-A reduction in the hours of labor for men employed by the day.
 "Third-Payment for legal ton of coal.
 "Fourth-That the coal we mine shall be honestly weighed and correctly re- corded; and
 "Fifth-We favor incorporating in the form of an agreement the wages that shall be paid and the conditions of en- ployment that shall obtain for spe- cific period As to the reasonab bleness of these demands we have proposed to submit to and abide by the award of an impartial board of arbitrtion.
 There could be no grosser perversion of truth than the assertion of the oper- ators that the mine workers union is lawless organization. During the past twenty weeks the whole power of the union has been exerted to preserve the peace among a voluntarily idle population of three-quarters of mill lion; and it is tribute to the activity of our officers and the loyalty and self restraint of our members that we have been more successful in allaying vio- lence than the coal and iron police in melting it. Despite all our precautions we regret that occasional violence has resulted, but it would be as logical to charge any one of the religious, social or political organizations or even the United States government with being an unlawful organization because some of it's adherents transgress the law as | it is to charge the United Mine Work CTS of America with being an unlaWul organization because some of its mem- | bers violate the law. The officers of the union are as severe as the operators in f their earnest condemnation of any and every act of violence upon the part Of striker; and no attempt has been made or will be made to condone any offense of this sort. The public should
 be made aware however, that the op- orators and a certain section of the press are by no means discriminating
 in the fixing of responsibility, and that | crimes of violence are laid at the doors of strikers when the imported guar dians of law and order, the armed coal
 and iron police, are clearly and unmis- | takably at fault; and I challenge the l ODpTdIOTS UT JHGlt 1liGildEA IO punt " one single utterance on their part IT
 disapproval of the lawless actions oi their hired guards Some time ago the Bellevue washery at Scranton was de-
 stroyed by lightning; reward was Of fered by the coal companies for the ar rest and conviction of the person Whc
 set fire to the washery. This Is an eX'
 ample of the manner in which the strik-
 CTS are maligned.
 MT. Baer assumes that the pump
 men, engineers and firemen were called out so that the mines would be de stroy and with their destruction ,140,00 men with their wives and children de pendent upon their labors would be de prived of work for a long time. Tn truth is that the strike of the pump
 men, engineers and firemen, was callet
 in their own interest absolutely, and b,
 their own request; it was for the pur
 pose of removing grievances agains
 which they alone complained an
 against which some of them had inaug
 urated an independent although unsuc
 cpssful strike more than one year age
 The fact that several weeks elapsed be |
 independent strike of the pumpmen, en
 gineers and firemen, and the furthe
 fact that the operators were give
 twelve days official notice that tn
 pumpmen, engineers and firemen woul
 strike unless granted an eight hou
 work day, should convince Mr Bae
 that the strike or these men did nc
 originate :n any desire on the part (
 the mine workers to deprive themselve of the source of their own livelihood.
 the mine workers had sought the de
 struction of the mining properties the would have ordered the strike of tn } steam men without giving the compar ies any notice at all.
 Similar accusations against the min
 workers are made in a public utteranc : by MT. Hewitt, in which that gentlema reveals his real feeling toward orgar ized labor. ! do not refer to his e. pressed fear that I shall become diC tator,' in control of votes enough to dt eide the next presidential election, ( to his assertion that in this contest tf allied coal presidents are fighting tf battle of independent labor against tf ,, aggressions of the United Mine Worl CT in order that the individu workman may be employed upc , terms satisfactory to himself. As a influential director of one Of the co; roads MT. Hewitt is undoubtedly awai that the companies are fighting to con