Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-09-04
WRIGHT SUGGESTS A PLAN
COmmissiOner of Labor ORers Solution
for Miners strike and Similar
Difficulties.


WASHINGTON, Sept. s.--The report OF
Carroll d. Wright. the commissioner OF
labor. on the anthracite coal strike, was
made public today
Commissioner Wright ands that there is
no confidence existing between the employees
and their employers. This, he believes. is
one Of the chief causes Of the difhculties be-
tween the operators and miners, and says
that II would be reasonable and just for the
operators TO concede at once a nlne-hour
day for a period Of six months as an expert
ment
He suggests that there should be organized
a joint committee on conciliation composed
of representatives of the operators and Of
a new union Of anthracite employees, to
which all grievances should be referred for
investigation, and that their decision should
be final and binding upon all parties and
that there should be no interference with the
nonnnion men.
In the course of his report, Commissioner
Wright says that the facts seem to show
the officers OF the miners union, with per-
hsps one or two exceptions. believed that
many of the alleged wrongs endured by the
miners might be corrected by appeals to
the employers. Their attempt however, to
secure conferences between the represent
atives of the mine workers and the mine
operators proved fruitless and the miners
| themselves decided that a strike should be
organized.
All the operators whom Mr.. Wright met
disclaimed distinctly that thav had any an
| tagonism to union labor as such. They did
| object seriously to some Of the methods
adopted by the union, and they felt that
when asked to make a contract with the
unions the latter should put themselves in
a position to be pecuniarly responsible for
carrying out such contracts.
The miners see little dIfficuIty in adopting
the system Of payment by weight, but they
claim that they are systematically de-
frauded by the arbitrary action OF the
bosses, who determine what deductions
shall be made for impurities and they claim
they are defrauded when paid by the wagon
| or car load.
When It is shown that coal, says Mr..
Wright, contained a varying quantity of
refuse as 1t comes from the mine, It is
difficult to see the force Of the argument
why 1t should not be weighed and the minet
paid for the work he does. At least the
operators. he thinks. ought 10 share in the
loss of mining impurities
The demand of the miners that wages be
Increased 10 per cent in the rates per ton
to those men who perform contract work
and 10 per cent reduction In the time OF
those who work by the day, Is backed by
the statement that after the Increase which
was granted in isO0, the prices OF all CON-
modities In the mining region were ad-
vanced accordingly. They urge that II IL
exceedingly dificult for them to live
properly on the present wages.
The reduction of time 10 put forward by
the miners and backed By the statement
that their work takes only about 200 days
in year and for the remainder Of the time
they are practically idle. The operators
meet this demand with the statement that
they are able to market only 60 per cent oi
the capacity Of their mines Spn that thai
hSed charges. including athek kk Slnpfps cars
OF the mines. etc. go on ENntwenty- -four
hours day and every day A. lfhe year.
The increase in wages which the men de.
mand would mean about 46 cents increase
The total amount Of wages paid in the an.
thracite fields last year is stated by the
operators to have been about S66 900 600
The increase under the original demand Of
the Ohio miners, the operators state, would
be about $20OO0O0O