New-York tribune., 1902-09-04
NO CHANCE TO ARBITRATE.
RAFR ISST-ES. A STATEMENT IN REPLY
TO QUAY AND PENRosE.

~ e.1-- 7.t4r- oFFR ATORS CANNOT SUBMIT
To NOTATION BY EMPLoYEs-GRIEV-
.,,rr-s WILL. BE ADJUSTED AT SEP
ARATE CoLLIERIEs.
r,,,1.1a1nbia sent a-Presideut George r
R.ar If the Reading Railroad Company anu
Tinted States Senators Quay and Fenrose hel'-
lone conference this afternoon in the eAee'-
t.,-e offices of the Reading company IN TINS 'i'S'
At which the strike Of the anthracite coal miners
was thoroughly discussed. Al the end ot me
,o-feranca President Baer issued a langthy re
yl,- "a the two Senator's Among other Things
he said.
recognize that II Is yo,r rsh, emo cur 81 PaI Gu
- E.adla al strike thai 50 seriously affects business
70 ~ re . 80 50 much suffering TO the and
children Of the Coa region the ht-"SllaptL . ffa4r
thai 4 said: The strike was private 3lI 53IIaLs
which did not concern the public Is a IechlsSs No.
fabrication. What have SAID was: tha[ IN l.,
agement of business oeIoneed 70 Ihg ." aI+s the
the case Of coal companies the law taSlS - -
ff5reTs whose responsibity to their stockhode
ers to the State and 70 the public Inc rlSrl, I'd
a feir return on their investment. The ohIlsaIl"n
to hT sIs' to is the h. isRS It has established Tho
roT3uct the business SO to add to the common
welfare .-.,o. r,,ns
The coal operators say that they eanpGt ;t llf na
coal because the miners make oemanQS "ili- me- ~
ar IL inouosSibe to mine coal pTofitablT. ana llld
ent Ihe Sfte Of men in the mines unless they have
worked years in anthracite mines anu anu me- me-
How then. under these circunlst anees can i7. -
be any violation Of public dutE: ~ II w NE ~ iIj
lose money. II attempt TO increase the pre- go ~
t Goa Me w. f5ei II we increase the price on the
domestic sizes will be called robber harons "pr
nsnkind We have concluded therefore that our
duty TO ourselves and to the publlc VIII peSl '
served bv standing firmly on these proposlteIs-
First-That the wages paid in the anthraSlte S%2al %
regions are. compared with the wages paid ] IN ne ~
employment fair and Just, and that men WINS ,
work honestly can earn more none T 1-I cei
in producing common articles OF necessity IN Inc
SeoondUThat wages cannot be increased without
Increasing the price of coal and TO lnGreas s; ~ N
price of coal viii restrict the market ana oIie & Is
pubIic ia use bituminous coal. cheaper ano mo- %
abundant fuel and that rgSu}G'eG m nrftine The
curtail production and result III ceP'i'-'= G
miners of regular employment -, o;z,-
,ionsl Iii We fully recognize the right OF men 10
organize to protect themSeiEs ie s5v tfmaf way
But We do oppose their rnreasonanle T of
our business we will not permit them 10 f seIfcl
our eploye Neither politics religion bal Ra09sT esr
any competent man from working for US; MT, Ne are
and his right TO labor his own terms ,,.
Fourth-That it IS by reason % 9I aint Uniform
scale of wages for the whole region But thsI ,I a.
saSa cGe9 9n 1 nyestigaTed by the superntendents
end adjusted whenever il is Just l. persona peISoI4it; y o [
with them and investigate any & grleyanbGiT, bi can he
YOll
the subject of arbitration. You cannot ar6ltratt
question Of wages when an increase WIN otgi I
Fte business decrease VIII be ullaccepldDlt
A 70 the workingmen- We cannot arhitrate a ques
B ion as to whether mining operation and cuisines
generally shall managed under the cofnInoI SLC
rule OF law and e9uty by the oTe5S S5T EXPERIMENTATION e liza
You cannot arbitrate the right 10 protect you
= bor organizations who boldly proclaim a purpos pos
70 {o PrGPeF elective f2 b2 kns and }nnring the
fellow workmen who refuse TO join IN thelr Ia~Iess
Hremen and pumpmen to desert their posts he kneP
that unless the operators ooud sup sug i,b i5T her de-
struction 10000 mea with their wives and chidreI
Seiied 70 @nnnloy police at their own expense
10 sa-e their mines The guards , ana tne 4N ID"
:itizens like Bedda are murdered the State author
h hes are ee9pfG Td9r lfF fat sai5nf Solder General
5obin who fought with such distinction in ouT
bitterly maiigned for protecting the property and
lives Of Pennsylvania citizens Can such questions
be ar3itrated?
President Raer devotes considerable space to
the efforts at arbitration made by the Civic
Federation. He says that every phase Of the
situation fully and fairly discussed, and
that the coal companies offered to produce all
books that would throw any light on the sub
ject: showed the balance sheets of the different
companies: pointed out that the three anthracite
coal carrying companies the Reading, Iehigh
Valley and Erie. had not paid dividends on their
stock for years. produced the records or coal
sales, and showed how ~ per cent OF the an
thracite coal sold IL the market below the
cost Of mining
Mr. Baer then says that. for reasons Sd It's
factory to the managers Of the Civic Fedora
tion another meeting was never called TO hear
the report of the subcommittee appointed, and
after we adjourned the United Mine Workers
started the machinery of their organization in
motion, and the strike followed
The reply ends follows:
You see. Senators, have discussed this whole
subject fuflv and 1 have endezvored TO show you
that sound business management makes il impos-
chile ia Increase We know that the wages
are fair and relatively high and that the leaders
NJ he mine workers had not for selfish
purposes invaded the anthracite fields, men
would have continued 10 work peaceaby and con-
tenfedIy. I regret that other solution be
found but will how impossible il is to
look the controlling business conditions already
pointed out.
BAER AND HEWITT DENOUNCED