The Topeka state journal., 1902-11-14
MITCHELL'S PLEA.
Continued from Page -

! In supporting the demand for the re-
duction of the hours of the day laborers
Mr. Mitchell showed that it amounted
1 to a demand for 20 per cent increase Of
/ compensation for 5000 men, or 81 per
cent of all mine employees.
/ Continuing, he said:
THE eight hour day is the standard
working day in the mining industry.
Eight hours constitute a days work IN
/ the coal mines of Great Britain. in all
the silver, gold and copper mines and
in the bituminous coal mines in the
states of Arkansas. Kansas. Missouri
Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan,
Kentucky, Tennessee, in western Penn
sylvania and the Indian Territory.
THE reports of the United State%
geological survey deEnonstrate that
more coal has been produced annually
since the Inauguration of the eight
hour workday than in any preceding
year. Each miner produced more coal
per working day in eight hours than
he formerly produced in ten hours and
there is no reason why the same results
would not be obtained in the anthracite
/ field. The bituminous work men re-
ceive in many instances from 20 to 40
per cent higher wages for eight hours
work, than are 9aid in the anthracite
mines for ten hours work.
THIRD DEMAND.
Defending the third demand that coal
shall be weighed and paid for by weight
and that 2,240 pounds shall constitute a
! ton. MI MlLCleu Qec1aToQ tnat lnt
present method of measuring the coal
produced by the miners in the Lacka-
wanna, Wyoming and Lehigh regions
has been the source of more discomfort
| than any other of the many inlusticeS
imposed upon the miners, and there can
be no cOntentment among these work
ers until an honest system has been
adopted Paying for coal by the car or
by the ton weighing from ?, 2,740 to $3.50
| pounds is a fragrant injustice. The cars
! have hppn larger fnnni11O a.
quired and there has been no CORE
spending increase in the amount paid
per car or per ton. The miners have
been forced to produce a constantly in
creasing amount of coal for which they
receive no additional compensation
The miner should be paid for every
pound Oe coal he mines that is sold by
the operators. If 2,240 pounds consti-
tute a ton when coal is sold to the con-
sumner and when railroad companies are
paid for transporting coal to market,
what justice can there be in denying the
miner the right to be paid for his labor
upon the same basis?
The anthracite companies, not salts
fed with an extra legal ton of from D.
740 to 3.190 pounds, have a system of
docking through which they appropriate
an additional part of the miners earn
ings miner IS dOcked all the way
from 500 to 1000 pounds upon car as
a penalty for loading impurities for
which be has already been penalized to
excess measure of weight: in other
words, he is punished twice for the same
Offense.
"A system somewhat similar. but less
unjust, obtained in a portion of the BIZ
luminous coal fields many years ago.
but the miners are now paid by weight
upon the basis of a legal ton; they are
not only permitted, but are encouraged
by the operators to employ check weigh
men to see that the product of their
labor is properly weighed and correct
record made thereof"
FOURTH DEMAND.
Mr.. Mitchell then took up the fourth
demand of the miners for a trade agree
ment with the necessary machinery for
the adjustment of local grievances. He
outlined the history and policy of the
United Mine Workers of America and
explained that by it's constitution the
anthracite and bituninous mine work
ers had home rule for the local govern
ment of local affairs.
The only manner" he said "in which
the national organizat ton is permitted
to interfere is that before a strike is in
augurated by the district organization,
the approval of the president of the ma
tional union must be obtained; but the
president of the national organizat ton
has no authority to inaugurate a strike.
Thus the coal mine operators are af-
forded a greater measure of protection
against strikes than they would have
under a separate and Independent or
ganization."
AS to the responsibility of the mine
workers organization Mr.. Mitchell
said:
AT the present time the United Mine
| Workers of America have contracts
with the operators of IA states and dis :
tricts, fixing the amount the miners
shall receive per ton the amount the
various classes of labor shall receive
| per day, the number of hours which
shall constitute days work. and the
methods and machinery for the adjust
ment of local grievances by joint con-
ference with the mine owners. These
are mutual contracts which are advan-
! tageous to both miner and operator
and protect the public against the eff
feet of strikes or lockouts.
THE reports Of the United States on
strikes in the mining industry show
4 that the number and duration of
strikes has been materially reduced
each year since the system of joint
conference and mutual agreement has
been introduced.
DISCIPLINES MEMBERS.
Where the United Mine Workers of
America is recognized and contracted
with. it assumes the responsibility of
disciplining it's members. The trade
agreement has proved effective in re-
! straining workmen from enga ging in To-
cal and general strikes There have been
no strikes of any magnitude in any of
the coal mining states in which trade
ldSIt6InenlS exist we seek 10 eSIdDilSD
the same method of adjusting wage diff
ferences in the anthracite field.
1T is said that the competition be-
tween anthracite and bituminous coal is
a reason upon which the anthracite
I operators oppose a recognition of the
/ miners organization. That this objec-
ton is neither valid or consistent. is
/ clearly demonstrated by the fact that
many of the railroads Differed by the
same men who control the anthracite
mines enter into trade agreements with
railroad organizations a majority of
whose members are employed upon other
and competing roads
We demand recognition because we
know that permanent peace and friendly
relations can best be maintained through
a trade agreement with the organization
which our people have elected to join