The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-09-27
A YEARS WAGES
is VERY SMALL
Pennsylvania Miners Average
Sf0I Each Day.
MITCHELL At PHILADELPHIA
FACTS AND FIGURES PRE-
SCENTED IN AN ADDRESS.
MITCHELL At PHILADELPHIA
PHILADELPHIA. Sept. 26.-Presi-

PHILADELPHIA. Sept. 26.-Presi-
dent John Mitchell of the United
Mine Workers OF America took
up at length the charges Of lawless-
ness on the part of the miners in a
speech at the Third regiment armory
tonight under the auspices OF the south
Philadelphia Business Mems league. He
made the counter charge that the oper-
ators are guilty OF Iawlessness in the
employment OF professional criminals
as coal and iron policemen Mr.. Mitch
ell came here at the invitation of
the league 10 address its meeting. He
received about 800 which had been con-
tribpted by various organizations for
the benefit of the miners. Mr.. Mitch
ell, in his address, said in part:
Il have some doubts in my mind
whether the residents of Philadelphia
have cause 10 feel aggrieved at Mr..
Baer or TO feel grateful 10 him. 1t
is true that the trust he represents is
extorting from you fabulous prices for
coal but as a compensating feature
he has taken from Philadelphia the
largest portion of the criminal class
that formerly resided here and now
has them commissioned by the gov
ernor of Pennsylvania as police. Phiia-
delphia criminals are now preserving
the law in the coal fields.
Not the Miners Fault.
But I did not come here for the
purpose Of discussing that phase Of the
question. came here 10 tell you
something about the coal strike. 1t
Is not the miners fault that the resi-
dents Of Philadelphia are paying SIS
a ton for coal.
I'm this strike the people have passed
Judgment. 1 am willing to say that
If 80 per cent Of the American people
would not east their votes in favor
Of the miners If il were left 70 them
l would order the strike OFF now.
Recently the papers, or that small
number of them friendly to the coal
trust, have been printing stories of
laWlessness and they say the miners
want TO so back 70 work. Let me say
10 you that for more than eight weeks
the militia of Pennsylvania have sur
rounded the miners and not one single
striker has returned to work. Yet it
is true that my people are suffering
for the necessities. 1t is true that
their children are going about bare
footed. But the Pennsylvania coal
miners have for years lived on little
and little less is no terrible hardship.
Wages For a Year.
Some Of the papers have printed
tabuIated statements of the earnings
of anthracite workers. Let me call
your attention TO one authority upon
the earnings of miners and no one viii
complain that that authority Is either
friendly or fair to the miners, I am
sure-Mr. Baer himself. In a public
statement recently issued, he says that
the average earnings of men under his
company were $1.S6 a day The Iarg-
est numberA OF days the anthracite
miners have worked was 194Iz, which
means that under his company and ac-
cording 10 his figures the miners earned
the grand total in year of 1868. 1t
is sos a week or S1.01 a day"
Mr.. Mitchell left late tonight for
Pittsburg. where he will meet National
Secretary Treasurer Wilson of the
Miners union. for the purpose of trans
acting business connection with the
organization.