The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-09-03

| NDTdlll IteWlll, WHuse Ietthl StdeS-
ments regarding the situation of the
strike in the anthracite coal fields has
caused discussion was asked at Bar
Harbor, Monday, by New York Times
representative, to reply to the state
ments made by President Mitchell and
other prominent sympathizers with the
miners cause, following Mr.. Hewitts
utterances of recent date.
MIR. Hewitt was averse to continuing
| the discussion at this particular time.
| He said that he felt he had discharged
| himself Of duty in giving out the al
| ready published interview, and that so
| far he had seen no communications In
| rebuttal which prompted him to make
a reply. His interview had accom-
plished, he said, the purpose for which
it was intended. 1t had opened up
fruitful field of discussion that had
brought frortl many sources an illumin-
ating light, which was being turned
upon all sides of the question, and was
giving to the public the opportunity of
passing judgment upon the strike as
| the operator sees it. Mr.. Hewitt stated
that he did not wish to be drawn fur
| ther into a controversy.
In reply to a number of questions,
Mr.. Hewitt answered casually. When
asked as to the surplussage of labor
in the coal fields and the limited hours
Of work, he said:
THE CAUSE OF IT.
| There is more than sufficient labor In
| the coal fields at the present time, and
| the union is itself responsible in a meas
| ure for the limited amount of work ana
| resultant pay accorded each miner. For
| the men being made members of the Or
| ganization it becomes necessary to so
subdivide the work among them. that
each man is employed a shorter number
| of hours with Il consequent deduction OF
wage earnings. The union seeks to have
each man paid the same wages for this
shortened time as was paid when the sup
| ply of labor was less and the time or
employment longer. The men then were
paid sufficiently high wages to maintain
a standard of living that was salts
| factory. as is witnessed in the case OF
many of the mines, notably the LehiSh
| Coal and Navigation company. 1t was
because of this satisfactory STANDARD
of living" and wages that the excess la
| Dor was attracted to the coal fields.
| Speaking of President Mitchell $
statement that the coal strike had little
political significance, Mr.. Hewitt mere
ly cited the instance of the last presi-
dental campaign, when the labor vote
became most important question in
national politics and forced a compro-
mise when there would have probably
otherwise have been a lonG-drawn
| fight Continuing, he said:
There is one phase of this strike to
| which the public as a whole has not had
| its attention drawn. 1t is a mistake to
| suppose that the mines are in the hands
| of seven or eight individuals who alone
| reap the rewards of victory or suffer the
| disadvantages of defeat in this crisis.
| The mines belong to many thousands OF
| stockholders and bondnolders. who out
| number the men that arc employed. 1t is
| a vast field divided up among all sizes
| of investors. Speaking of the earnings of
| the anthracite mines, while they are I'M
| mensely productive and valuable indus
| tries, their earnings are not what they
are commonly supposed to be- In the
| case of one of the oldest companies do
| ing business in Pennsylvania the earn
ings for the last sixty years have aver
aged approximately per cent.
THE WAY SUGGESTED.
| The men who today are administering
| these concerns are executing the duties
| of their office, not for their personal ends,
but in the interest of a very large public.
| According TO the statements tndt nave
| appeared as coming from the miners
| union. it has been suggested that the
| question OF higher wages for shorter
| hohrs be met by the operators by raising
| the price of coal to the public, which
must be made to suffer the compromise.
Mr.. Hewitt drew from the case of G
r. Markle & Sons an illustration point
ing to the responsibility of the miners
| organizations. In the face of repeated
violations of contract and their agree
ment to submit all local differences tC
arbitration and not to be influenced by
the disputes arising in other quarters
they nevertheless in 1900, at Mr.. Mitch
ellis solicitation, Notwithstanding thai
their condition was eminently satisfac-
tory, joined the general strike that was
called by the United Mine Workers ir
that year. 1t is this responsibility
the absence of corporate qualities that
calls for Il firm stand on the part of the
operators, who are in duty bound tc
guard their just business interests, il
was declared.
Mr.. Hewitt commented on the fac
that the public seems not to be aware
that there is growing up vast labor
trust, fraught with a far greater men
ace to industrial conditions than many
of the so-called monopolies that are
now occupying the attention of the en-
tire country.
II