The evening Republican., 1902-06-23
WRONGS OF MINERS.
President Mitchell Makes q
Statement to tho Public.
MOTIVES FOR THE STRIKE EXPLAINED
Assertions of Anthracite Operators
Proved False BY Their own Re-
ports-AveraKe Wage ofSNIiner
Is Less Than $500 q Year.

ASSert1OnA OF Anthracite Operators
Proved False BY Their own Re-
ports-Averawe Wage ofSMiner
Is Less Than $500 a Year.
WILKEsBARRE,, Pa. June 3d.
President John Mitchell of the United
Mine Workers of America has issued
an address to the public. 1t is partly
a reply to the letters of the operators
declining to accede to the demands of
the union which were published abous'
ten days ago. The address is as fol-
lows:
To the Public:
If the contest now in progress in the
anthracite coal regions Of Pennsylva-
mia affected only the welfare OF the
railroad and mining corporations on
the one hand and the coal mine work.
ers Oh the other, the public would have
no vital interests at stake and would
consequently be lass concerned than It
now is In the continuance, the extern
sion or the termination of the conflict,
but inasmuch as there is third and
important interest involved which, al
though in nowise responsible for the
present strike, is nevertheless an limo.
cent victim thereof it is but fair and
proper that the general public should
be fully and accurately informed upon
the merits of the question in contro-
versy. If 1t shall be asked why. we
have waited until the close of the sixth
week Of the strike to issue a statement
Of this nature, sufficient answer may
be found in the fact that We have hesi-
tated to utter any word or to take any
position that would impede or embar-
rass easy reconciliation with the coal
operators. Every delay and precau-
tion, every conceivable conciliatory ef-
fort that honorable and conservative
men could take to avert rupture and
every means that thought could sug-
gest to bring the matter in dispute to
arbitration was resorted to by the un.
ion both before the strike order was
issued and since 1t went into effect,
but without avail, the coal magnates
replying to all our overtures with the
declaration that there was nothing to
arbitrate. This statement on their part
Is equivalent to saying that tho coal
mine workers have made unreasonable
demands and have struck without real
Or sufficient cause. 10 this let plain,
unvarnished facts and figures reply.
For more than twenty-five years the
anthracite coal mine workers of Penn
sylvania have chafed and groaned I'M
der the most intolerable and inhumane
conditions of employment Imaginable.
Their average annual earnings have
been less than these Of any other class
of wOrkmen in the United States not
withstanding the fact that their work
Is more hazardous and the cost of liv-
ing greater than in any other impor-
tant American industry. The total
number of persons employed in and
around the anthracite coal mines is
l41,oO0 They are employed never to
exceed 200 days in any one year, and
they receive as compensation for their
services an average of 81. AZ for ten
hour Workday. 1t will thus be noted
that they earn annually less than $500.
Such pay may supply living on par
with some classes of European labor
ers, but who will say that it is sutfi-
cisnt to support American citizenship
or enable parents to educate and prop
erly maintain their families? True it is
that 10 per cent increase in wages
was granted by the coal operators as
strike concession two years ago, but it
Is also true that large portion of this
10 per cent was paid back to the com
panies to buy the suppression of an old
powder grievance. Moreover. accord.
Ing to reliable commercial agencies, the
cost of living has increased, pnricJ-
ldrly in the purchase of foOdstuffS.
from 10 to 40 per cent. so that the DUR
Chasing power of miners earnings is
TESS now than before the strike of 1900.
The presidents of the various coal
carrying railroads have given publicity
to statement that during the year
1901 the productive capacity of mine
workers d"terorHted al average of 1919
per c'nt. In other words. the United
Mine Workers organization Is accused
OF encouraging poor workmanship. An
examination Of the reports on coal pro-
du"tion compiled by the United States
government discloSes the fact that the
allegations OF the railroad presidents
are misleading and untrue. as the fol
lowing figures will demonstrate:
From 1890 to 1900, inclusive. the
mines were in active operation an aver
age of lS2 days per year, and for each
person employed there were produced
3G33S tons of coal per year. or for each
day the mines were in operation ZIG
tons were produced per employee. while
in the year 1901, against which the op-
orators so bitterly complained, the
mines were in operation 104M days, and
there were produced 415.43 tons for
each person employed or for each day
the mines were in operation 2.3G tons
were produced per employee. thus
showing conclusively that instead of a
deterioration there was n decided i'm
provement in the productive capacity
of the men after they became thorough
ly organized.
The railroad presidents contend that
they cannot increase wages without
making a corresponding increase in the
selling price of their product to the con-
sumer and have accused the mine
workers of suggesting proposition
that would impose hardship upon the
public by increasing the market price
of coal 10 cents a ton, the amount that
would have been required to meet all
the demands made by the miners.
However, their solicitude for the public |
veal has not deferred them from ad-
LitiIr tl,xa irl:..t |