The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-06-23
MITCHELL AGAIN
ASKS ARBITRATION,
President of United Mine Workers
Says Men Are Willing to
Abide by Decision.
STRIKERS SIDE OF THE CASE.
Forceful Presentment of the Min
ers' Contention by Chief of
Their Organization in
Reply to Operators.

Wilkesbarre, Pa, June 22.-President John
Mitchell of the United Mine Workers of
America to-day issued an address to the
public.
1t is partly n reply to the letters of the
operators declining to accede to the de-
mands OF the union. which were published
about ten days ago.
Summary of Address.
Briefly summarized the address says that
every possible means was resorted to in the
| effort to prevent the strike, claims that the
cost of living has increased to the point
where the miner was compelled to ask for
higher wages. denies the allegations of the
; operators that the productive capacity of
the mine workers has fallen off, but on the
other hand has increased; quotes official
figures to substantiate the contention that
the employers can pay higher wages with
out Increasing the cost of coal to the con-
sumner, asserts that the coal-carrying rail-
roads which control about 81 per cent of
the mines absorb the profits of their coal
companies by charging exorbitant freight
rates; claims that a ton at the mines means
anywhere from $40 to $3.50 pounds instead
OF 2,2iO. and says that more men are killed
ana injured in the anthracite mines or
Pennsylvania annually than were killed or
| wounded during the Spanish-American War.
The address also says that in the event the
ly, a new organization would rise from its
ruins. 1t concludes with another appeal for
arbitration of all questions in disupte.
Annual Earnings Not $500.
His statement is in part as follows:
For more than twenty-five years the anthra-
cite coal mine workers OF Pennsylvania have
chafed and groaned under the most intolerao!e
and InAunan conditions OF employment mag
Unable. Their average annual earnings have Teen
less than those OF any other class Of workmen
in the United States. notwithstanding the fact
that their work Is more hazardous and the IoSt
Of living greater than In any other Important
American industry. The total number Of per
sons employed n and around the anthracite coal
mines is III. seq; they are employed never 10 e$-
coed 200 days in any one year. and they receive
as coupensst;on for their services an average
OF ST. for a ten-hour Work Gay. II Will lios
be noted that they earn annually less tnAh ~.
Such pay may supply a hHlnx on 4 Par win
some classes Of European laborers: but who WILL
say that it is suincient TO SUPPORT AinerieSn
cIIIzens or enable parents 10 eauea'e sHu p'''
eIIy malntain their lamiIies! |
Cost of Living Higher.
Trina 4, is that n l9-per-cent increase in wages |
was granted oy the coal operators as - strike
concession two years ago. but II u aiso HWa
that = large portion OF tais ~ peF cent Was paid
10y TO me companies 10 buy the suppression
OF an old poAcer grievance: moreover. a'eSfi. |
ing 10 reliable commercial agencies ine SOsI oA |
I.NsIE mas lAGGGAsCA. IA I
OF IUod sIuIIs. from ~ " ~ peE SeH..
TE, Uurctaslns po@er OF u miners earnings -
Irz, now tnAu before the STRIKE o. 4s00;
,u- ur.s.uenIs VI LAs Na..oIs cSal-SSrFSAhS
rauIoaas nave gwen puoneity u a stAteLleIr
IDat uuIIng tie Se.r ls9t tAs tiouucaNe ~rH
o. IlIAs nviAsrs uetsr.e!a'et . - -
utr c..I: IN ULIer ~oaas. s.Ie Sn.,ed hiihs "o.A-
~ r.EasasIIS' An examination Oh the Iepuits Ui
coal pFvuuGaon. cOAEphed " ls n,Ne
IONS Oh Ine raIrOaI p..s.aents are nlsieAe.ns
ana untrue. as Tue following nsures VIA eehton
strate:
workmanship Improved.
From 1881 IL 1919. Inclusive. the mines were
in arLIvs operation IA aEeisse OF - uaSs PEI
year. ana Ir eacn pe.sen sA.PI"!ea tIets VIZ
pruuuGsu SoS.SS IONS o. cOAi pc. yea. VI y tsSa
Jay tne names weIe in eesr.dn ~ to., %sn
produced per enp.oye. WINE IN the year isT'
against winch tue UpeIato.s 80 DIZZY tonp,a.h.
Mere vTCdu.ed 4.s.3s tons .or can lesson EN-
pIUyed. or tCr escn daS mo nliiies Sete Al Op
snvn ing concIusiyeIy mat Instead OF = dsier.ora-
t.vn t.eTs VAS d deciAed improvement IN Tue pro-
thoroughly UIganlzed. Can tbs unpreJ~d.ceu ie-
tnTactS- miner is moi a better woram-n tuan he
Was bcfo.e the 40 Der c>nt c0neession in wages
two years aEsf
kaiIroad P~residents' Claim.
The ralr,ad presidents contend that they can
not increase wages w.Lh.ut lnakIng = oorIespoAd-
to- the consune.. and nae secussd he mine
workers OF Suggesting a prupos tan that would
inc market price o. coal II GEMS a ton, te
amount THAT wound have ben required to meet
Ri ZIG Guiana l~N ~
their solcItUdo for the pGbLc wea. has not &C
tered tnem nom advancing the market p.Iee OF
their coal more thsn 81 pr ton s.nce the strike
inAugu4 atsd, w.IhOut giving any part OK this
10 the mime WORKERS.
Government Statistics Cited.
In Standardization OF our claim that the coal
can afford to pay lac. ca ed wages 10
TIE mine WORKERS without increasing the cost OF
coal 10 the cOnsuAers. We submit the foAoWiiS
extracts from the Government repUTts showing
the selling value OIL coal loaced on cars ut the
mines Tor the eleven years leg .nnilg with leSo
and enolng with 1900. as corzpa.~d with IyVl. The
average home YS.ue Of al. coal mined AID sold
during this period Was ALAS Per ton. while 4
press bulletin recently iss-ed by Charles D..
Na!cott. Director OF the United s yates Geological
Survey. says mat Tor tne yer 1901 the Increase
In the value OF tne anthracite pr ducI received
at the mines showed a gala OF 81. lat, 49,. or more
Price Tor the marketed anthracite cosl-tEat Is.
was SI.S7. the highest figure obtained since s
ass ]
Coal Trusts Extortion.
In other words, while. according to President
)~lyplant, 10 cents per ton represents the opeT-
ltOrs' increased cost of production in 49,. 80
ents per TOMAS compared with l9v9-represents
he increased value or the product TO the oper-
tors. In view OF the fact that this enormous !
Increase in the selling price of coal has been :
Ntorted from the consumer by the Coal Trust,
an any one say that the demands Of the miners
or a small portion Of the increased wealth their =
abor has produced are unreasonable or unwar- :
anted?