Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1902-09-11
REPORT BY WRIGHT.
The Commissioners Opinion on the
Anthracite Coal Strike.
SUGGESTIONS IlDE BY lR. WRIGHT
The President Submitted the Report to the
Attorney General Who Said That the
Executive Had No Power to Take
Action In the Matter.

EXECUTIVE u10 0U kOWok ~ AoSs
Action In the Natter
Washington, Sept. 4.-Carroll D.
Wright, commissioner Of labor, was
designated by the president in June
last to investigate and report to him
the cause and conditions accompany
ing the present controversy between
the Pennsylvania anthracite coal OPP
orators and their miners. Later Mr..
Wright submitted his finding to the
president. After carefully going
over the report the president sub
mitted it to the attorney general
who, after giving it full and careful
consideration, reports that the exec
utive has no power whatever to take
action in the matter. The report &C.
cordingly is made public for the in
formation Of the people.
Mr.. Wright conducted his investl-
cation in New York, being represent
ed in the coal regions by an expert
cnccd gentleman, who, he states, had
studied the conditions in the coal re-
gions many times, and who under
took to make the necessary inquiries
relative to the present strike. Mr..
Wright saws that he knows OF no
strike that hos presented so many
varying conditions, conflicting views
and irritating complaints. The pres
emit strike, he says, finds its root in
the settlement Of the strike in 1900,
when the advance demanded by the
miners was conceded. Since that
time there has been increased sensi-
tiveness and more intense irritation
than during the previous 25 years.
The report recltes what efforts were
made to secure q conference be-
tween the operators and the miners
before the present strike was inau-
gurated and how they failed, and
says that from the first the efforts
of the union leaders were directed
toward preventing strike at this
time, believing that at best 1T would
result in great hardship and suffer-
ing for the miners and their families,
as well as work incalculable injury
to the Industrial interests OF the
country. Notwithstanding these ef-
forts, the strike was ordered by the
Hazleton convention.
Commissioner Wright then gives
the demands made by the strikers
and says. "All these demands and
modified requests were rejected by
the operators, and SO the issue, clear
" defined, remains an open one, the
officers of the unions claiming that
they can hold out for four or five
months, while the operators take the
ground that they can hold out indeti-
nitely and let the matter adjust IT.
self.
"Somc of the miners have testified
that if they can be paid by honest
weight they do not care anything
about the increase of wages. They
say they would rather work nine
hours a day with decrease than
on the old basis"
Mr.. Wright makes the following
suggestions, which, he says, seem
reasonable and just:
"1-That the anthracite employees
should organize an anthracite MN
ers' union, in its autonomy to be IN
dependent of the United Mine Work
ers of America. 2-That considering
all the facts relative to production
cost of coal at the mines, profits
freight traffic etc, it would be rea-
sonable and just for the operators
to soncede at once nine-hour day
3-That under new organization
consisting of anthracite employees
there shall be organized a joint com
mittee of Cancellation to which al
grievances as they arise shall be re
ferred for investigation; and that
when two-thirds of the committed
reach decision, that decision bt
final and binding upon both parties
4-That the first duty of such join
board Of Cancellation shall be ITO en-
ter upon a thorough explanation
and investigation of all conditions
relative to mining anthracite coal
the question of weighing, discipline
wage scales and all matters that nov
form the burden Of complaints AM
grievances of both operators ant
miners. THAT whenever practica
bic and where the mining Is paid fol
by the ton, and until the joint com
mittee referred to shall have mad
its report, coal shall be paid for b,
the ton and be weighed by two in
spectors, one representing the oper
ators and one representing the mer
each side to pay its own inspector
6-That there shall be no interior
: ence with non-union men. 7-Tha
whenever practicable collective bal
gains shall be made relative t
wages, time and other conditions
and rules to be established by tn
Joint committee referred to-"