Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-11-17
Recltes Its Development From Date
OF Charter In 1922,
OLDEST IN THE REGION.
n..,.yes the Demands Of the Miners
Are Upju.tidabie-Li't Of s'r'k-
ers, overt Acts.

statement of the Lehlgh Coal * NaVl-
cation company submitted to the an
thracite coal strike commission no"
In session at Scranton, in answer 10 the
demands of the miners, was made pup
lie here today
Tho answer recites the development
of the company from the date OF us
charter I'm 1922, refers to the expense vi
o,eration and to the comparatively
small profits, and declares the deihahu
nj the employees for an increase Oh ~
ner cent is unjustiiiable, the reasons
oiyen IN support of the demand not be-
ing founded on fact Accompanying
tho statement are two exhibits. one
shows the earnings for one year, paseu
ON the time worked during lsVl' lhe
number of the several classes OF WORN s
men and the rates paid ACCORDING u ems
payroll for the first hall OF May! i'v-'
The other is catalogue OF overt aoeS
charged to the striking ehpioyes W
the company during the recent cohteea,
,he yints assaults and disturbances
& of various kinds being numbered at up
wards of 60 The answer states
"The Lehigh Coal Il Navigation COM
many is the oldest corporation enBaBeu
IN tho mining of coal In the anthracite
region. II was chartered In lS22, ana
vas the successor of the Lehigh Coal
Mining company, which was organized
I'm England in 1893. 1t also acquired
u certain rights on the LehlBh rNei
which were granted In 1919 ,ooo
III owns and controls about l4,Voo
acres of coal land In Carbon and Schuy-
n XIII counties, which are estimated TO
contain 800 900 600 tons of available uh-
mined coal. Its employees number ABOUT
8 6.O00. and it's capacity Of product IL over
100000 tons d month. Its capital STOCK
and funded debt amounts TO upward OF
q S73OOOO0O. All of its capital stock ana
bands were issued for full value, Dut at
though its more important coal lahus
were purchased at a time when the
q country was wilderness, ana all us
a lands have been acquired at moderate
prices. the dividends upon It's capltal
y stock TO date only average 4,O2 per cent
: THE profit on coal mined by the
company during the 10 years ending
at December 81, 1901, has averaged ll'O9
cents per ton, after charging OF taxes
on coal lands and depreciation, but not
including any charge for royalty. which
represents the value Of the coal In the
ground Nor were the rates Of freight
upon the railroad eXo-bitant as IS
shown by the fact that the company
operated its own canaLand found II adj
t4 Yantageous to send the coal to market
Z over the railroad rather than by the
N cant."
referring to the claim Of the miners
q that better wages are paid IN the BIZ
II luminous fields for substantially SINH
n lar work, the answer states;
This company does not know what
III rate OF wages is paid in the bltumln-
IA vls coal fields throughout the country,
III .ict there is nowhere In any fields sub
III stGntially similar work 20 that which Is
n done under contract In the mines of this
!, company. II is fact, however, that
~ miners Of ordinary skill and experience
have always been able to go from the
4 mines Of this company TO any other
n mining region throughout the country
land obtain employment.
"a In 1891 for a day Of 10 hours con-
4 tract miners earned an average of 1914
4rer day skilled laborers, 1921; unskill-
1ej labOrers SlS3, boys, 81 for work
Aur underground. The rates for outside Ia
3bor average as follows; Skilled labor,
3$l,96; unskilled labor, SIPS: boys II
4tents. The average annual earnings
3of adults were A7525"
al Denial Is made of the claim OF the
3miners that their earnings are in
Isulilcient to maintain the American
sIandard Of living, and concerning the
1cmployes Of the Lehigh Coal 4 Navi-
Ifaiion company, these figures are
Xgiven
III "out Of 1868 families, $40 own their
Xpwn homes pianos will be found In
l'6 and house organs In 33l. The COM
many owns and rents to its employees GIL
houses at an average rental OF $4.75 a
month. The character OF these houses
fully up to the average In any part
~ the country occupied by any other
pass OF workmen, IL has been the
~oilcy OF the company to sell surface
tights to those OF its employees who de-
DC to put up their own houses. and for
many years there has been steady
8emand on this account. The town of
summit Hlll has population Of about
wv ana almost the entire surface.
Wlth the dwellings, is now owned and
RVcupled by employees OF the company
me families OF the employees have
Rhple sch0ol Accommodations, with ca
WPaple teachers and over 1000 children
III attendance, while over rs per cent
~ lhe whole fund expended In the re-
on Is derived from taxes paid by this
ompany on It's coal estate.n
Regarding the employment OF boys
{he statement says:
slate picking is a very easy ocrupa.
pon compared 10 the work done by The
~ upon farm and many OF them are
eeded TO take care OF the mine mules
% other light work and in this way
wages OF the household are largely
~ "slllnaiely increased. Since 1871
tnah %OV young men have gone
on i,ansIore ana other villages I'm
nelsnpo,hoou 10 normal schools and
Eneses anu uec9Ine mining engineers,
cts, ministers and professors "''"''
"Some Of the foreigners nresar = H..
very. niggardly and squalia nan
Der so that they may accumn,a,n ''' ~.
rge part OF their earnings and ,e,, Nv
Europe TO live in idleness. Inn, III
Nho nave thelr permanent homes ,n ~
region nave at least 81 600 00O donna, ."s
the banks and savings h,nds ,n ~
Ncinity' saved from the earnings - ~. Nv
employment OF this comnanv M "a the
9ual remittances TO their fanu, an,
riends abroad, through agencies 4. anu
region and vicinity. amounted - !. nm, me
oo or more. In 1884 the comnsrv W siev'-
1ished beneficial fund. TO which ss'ap-
contributed the sum OF slss 80 q an y mas
Employees sli,76s ana the
'During the strike OF 1900 Il, -,
The employees Of the companv winch
70 participate, the companv ueclined
knowledgment OF their loyalty IN ae-
uted $4,000 to the beneficial mr. voi'rio-
"Since then most Of them basnu.
the union and felt bound 10 to,n ;olned
strike when ordered last M Me-. III NE
complaint was addressed ia ny y No
pany, OF grievance alleged ana s COM
quest for higher wages made. h,,, no re-
out notice the men left work IL, NJ, WIN.
against their own win ana ia oody
because required TO do so nv 's,hssment
Of the miners employed in o,b as vote
fields. er coal
"The claim for reduction q, "a
cent In the hours Of labor. w,,hor,g per
reduction In earnings, for an emu, any