The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-06-23
MITCHELL MAKES PUBLIC
SOME INTERESTING FACTS
Earnest Appeal in Behalf of Striking Coal Miners
Cites Statistics to Refute Operators Claims
May Call General Strike Which Would Parayzs American Coal In
dustY-Says Men Earn $L42 Day.

10 per cent concession in wages two
years ago?
The railroad presidents contend that
they cannot increase wages without
making a corresponding increase in
the selling price of their product to
the consumer. and have accused the
miae workers of suggesting PROPOSE
ton 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 an the demands made by the
miners: however their sOiiCitude for
the public veal has not deferred them
from advancing The market price OF
their coal more than 81 per ton since
The strike was inaugurated. without
giving any part of the increase to the
mine workers.
In substantiation of our claims that
the coal companies eau afford 10 pay
Increased wages to the mine workers
without increasing the cost Of coal to
the consumer, we submit the follow
ing extracts of the government reports
showing the selling value Of the coal
. loaded on cars at the mines for the
eleven years beginning with 1890 and
ending with 1900. as compared with
1901. The average home value of all
coal mined and sold during this period
was $l.48 per ton, while a press bulle-
tin recently issued by Charles D. Wal
colt, director Of the United States geo
logical survey, says that for the year
1901, the decrease in the value of the
anthracite product received at the
mines showed "a gain of $21.I46. 169. or
more than 81 per cent over that OF
1900
''Tbe average price for the marketed
anthracite coal that is. the product
shipped to market or sold to local
I trade. was Si.S1. the highest figure OBJ
tanned since 1855
ELEPHANTS Statement Untrue.
In other words, while. according to
President OIiphant, 10 cents per ton
represents the operators increased cost
Of production in 1901, 30 cents per ton
as compared with 1gOO-represents the
increased value OF the product to the
/ operators, I'm view OF the fact that
/ this enormous increase in the selling
price Of coal has been extorted from
[ the consumer by the coal trust. can
any one say that the demands Of the
miners for small portion of the in
creased wealth their labor has pro-
( duced are unreasonable or unwar-
rantedc
The statement says that further evil
dence OF the ability of the coal mine
owners 10 pay increased wages is
shown i'm the statement Of John AIarkle.
managing partner of the c. =. Markle
[ Coal company, an independent firm
operating three mines in the Lehigh re-
/ gion, made IN a suit before la SUI
preme court Of Pennsylvania. Mr..
Markie is quoted as saying that the
+ company. I'm the FIVE years from 1890
to 1894 made profits Of over 81 900 600
and the statement says the government
: reports show that the home value of
( coal produced by the anthracite COM
panles during that time was $1.5I a
/ ton.
Operators Profits.
"If the G. B. Markle company could
/ make profit OF over 81 900 900 in five
| years, when che selling price of their
| coal at the mines was s1.51." Continues
! the statement, does il not seem rea-
sonable 10 suppose that the larger COM
panies-whOse cost of production is
/ necessarily less-could make a sufficient
profit i'm 1901. when the home value of
/ their coal was $.S7 per ton. to enable
/ them, without detriment to their bust
! ness 70 pay the anthracite nine work.
ers the small pittanCe asked for bv
/ them?"
| The statement then quotes Presi-
dent Truesdale Of the Delaware. I,acka-
WaTna x Hudson, who, i'm his annual
/ report TO the directors of his company
1 said that the year 1901 would pass into
{ history as one Of the most satisfactory
/ to the anthracite coal interests of the
! country ever known, and adds the
/ Commercial and Financial Chronicle
/ he 4
Ol:phant of the Delaware & Hudson, as
/ follows:
I The average Of anthracite selling
J prices for 1901 must have been 50 to 40
! cents higher han in 1900. and the prof
! It's of the coal mining operations of the
] Delaware & Hudson in 1901 were s. 4O7. .
( 20.."
Ridicules Trusts Statement.
/ The statement ridicuIes as absurd the
/ offer Of President Baer. the recognized
/ spokesman of the coal trust, TO submit
/ the books CT the coal departments to
/ prove that wages could not be in
/ creased, and says:
"Eighty-fve or 90 per cent Of ali coal
I produced in the anthracite regions is
( from mines owned and operated by the
/ various COal-caTTying railroads: the
/ freight charges for delivering a ton OF
anthracite coal are three times as great
as those Of other roads for hauling a
ton of bituminOus coal one mile. and.
as a consequence. the coal department.
while actually earning enormous profits
ou a legitimate business. may and do
appear TO be losing money, for the
reason that their railroad departments
consume the profits of the coal depart
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