The Tucson citizen., 1902-11-21

workingmen, but also have better
| houses, better food, better clothing and
more comforts than any other work
| ingmen. Their work is neither dan
eerous nor unhealthful Children are
not allowed to work, but are COM
pelleG to go TO school, where free text
books and other supplies are furnished
by the State. Manifestly, the coal
miners life is a dream. His job is a
soft snap. He does not know when
he is we'll Off
But there is one proposition made
by Mr.. Baer that needs some further
explanation. He says:
Any increase in wages will neces-
sarily increase the price of coal to the
public, restrict its use and seriously
using it as a fuel to compete with the
industries using bituminous coal. it
will bear heavily on the workmen and
necessarily oppress the general public
and injure the general business of the
country.
This is where the consumer comes
into the game, and he is the man who
is not being personally conducted
through life of luxury by the coal
operators, or by the State of Pennsy1-
vania, or by the United States. Now,
under the beneicent provisions of the
tariff, the consumer is paying 81 cents
ton to Mr.. Baer and his associates to
compensate for the difference in wages
of American miners and foreign
pauper miners-which means British
miners, for what anthracite coal we
| import comes from Great Britain In
Grsht Britain the average price for
mining a ton of coal is one shilling
and sixpence, or about SO cents ton,
and adding the 81 cents difference
would make $1.05 per ton the wages of
the American miner. This must be
correct, because Senator Hanna says
that the Dingley tariff law was adopt
ed after the most careful considera-
tion of conditions. and that it is the
perfection of justice and statesman
ship.
But while American wages on the
tariff basis is $1.05 ton, it appears
that Mr.. Baer and his associate barons
are actually paying 517a cents a ton
I Tyhof ic rho Sahod,1Io ,-o To fo,. efr,1,1 af
the mine.' Mr.. Baer and his asso-
ciates are doing something with the
other 531a cents. What Is it? But
that is not the worst. They are un-
questionably collecting the 81 cents a
ton from the consumer. Every man
who buys a ton of anthracite pays Mr..
Baer and his associates 81 cents for
miners wages, or, in other words,
''for the protection of the American
workingman." And they pay the
miner 511s cents and pocket the re-
naming 1914 cents. An increase OF
20 per cent on present prices would
be slightly more than 10 cents ton
which would make a total of less thar
62 cents out of the, 67 cents contributed
for that purpose by the consumer
and still leave cents of clear dona-
tiop to Mr.. Baer and his associates
Why would there be any need of any
increase of price?
While The Citizen hesitates to differ
from a thoroughly, informed man like
Mr.. Baer, it feels that if the consum el
pays the whole cost of mining thH
coal, and gives cents a ton bounty tc
the coal trust, besides paying the full
value of the coal, that ought to bt
enough. Mr.. Baer and his associates
! are not paying a cent for the mining
OF their coal. and they would not be i
they made the increase of 10 cents
ton. The consumer pays the who'll
cost Of mining, under the Dingley law
That would seem to be all that coult
reasonably be asked of him. Blu
when, in addition, he pays bounty }
/, S cents a ton to the trust, to demand
more would be an extortion and al
imposition