The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-09-04
THEIR EFFORT
WAS FRUITLESS
Senators Quay and Penrose Try
to Settle Coal Strike.
PRESIDENT BAER OBDURATE
SEEMINGLY THERE IS NO HOPE
OF ARBITRATION.

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. S.-United
| States Senators Quay and Pen
rose held a protracted conference
today with President Baer Of the Read
| ing railway in reference to the miners
strike. After the conference. Senator
Quay said:
I'VE went over the situation thor
! oughly. and are now satisfied that
nothing can be accomplished at the
present time"
Politics will not be allowed To inter
| fere in this strike" was President
Baers only comment.
Later President Baer sent reply 10
| the two senator's in which he said:
The newspaper story that / said
the strike was a private affair. which
| did not concern the public is fabri-
| CO ton.
Now, what / have said is that the
management OF business belongs to the
owners. In the case OF coal companies
the law casts the management and
control on the directors and officers.
whose duty IL is to the stockholders, 10
the state and the public. The right
OF the stakeholder is 10 have good
management and a fair return on his
investment. The obligation TO the
state is 10 conduct the business in
strict conformity to the laws il has es-
tablished. The duty to the public Is.
so far as practicable, to conduct the
business so as TO add to the common
welfare
we have concluded that our duty TO
ourselves and TO the public viii best
be served by standing firmly on these
principles:
"First-That the wages paid in the
anthracite coal regions ar, compared
with wages paid in like employment,
fair and just.
Coal Would 90 Up.
'Second-That wages cannot be in
creased without increasing the price of
coal and 10 increase the price Of coal
will restrict the market and that a re-
stricted market will curtail production
and result in depriving the miners OF
regular employment.
"Third-That we are not fighting
labor organizations. But we do oppose
their unreasonable interference with
the discipline and ordinary manage
ment of our business and We will not
permit them TO select our employees.
nat II - bg lNeSpAl u yAAE Gun
ditiOns at each mine impracticable to
adopt a uniform scale of wages for the
whole region But that at each colliery
every complaint and grievance win be
taken up and investigated by the su-
perintendents and adjusted whenever
il is just. l personally offered to
Mitchell and his district superintend-
ents 10 go with him and investigate
any grievances.
You see. senators, none of these
things can be the subject Of arbitration.
You cannot arbitrate a question of
wages when an Increase will destroy
the business and a decrease will be I'M
acceptable to the wOrkmen.
I'VE cannot 'arbitrate a question as
10 whether mining operations and
business generally shall De managed
under the common sense rule of law
and equity by the owners and the serv-
ants they have selected. or a labor or
ganiZatiOn.
You cannot arbitrate the right to
protect your property and your work
men from the mob rule of labor or
CARNATIONS, who boldly proclaim pur-
pose 10 destroy property and endeavor
20 make their proclamation effective by
killing and lnjuring their fellow work.
men who refuse TO join in their law
IeSSnecS 4"