The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-10-19
MA Y BE A BLESSING IN DISGUISE.
Suggestions the Coal Strike With Ven to Applying
National Supervision to Great Corporations

By terrible wrong Of both the past aud
the present.
ONE VIEW.
THE churchman Of September o. last,
contained an editorial relating 10 this alb
scrblng subject that reads:
ellie anthracite strike has reached posi-
ton where again week may decide Il in
one way or another. Governor Stone Of
Pennsylvania, In company with the attorney
general Of the state, Mr.. Elkin. aud Nj.
tiinn. a prominent Pittsburg politician,
made I'm effort with the aid OF Mr. 4. A.
b. widcner. to secure some concession from
the operators. II the miners would return
TO work at once. they are said TO have
suggested o pledge that all grievances
should be taken up and fairly settled. Mf'
j. pierrout Morgan With whom the ntgu-
tiatiuns were made, refused 70 make ally
concession, and this IS the attitude taken
by the operators. For various reasons,
some due 70 the mere pride OF property
which comes ~ all nen under individual
Ownership, aud 10 part from 4 einesru be-
lief that no other course wA3 open, thoEc
interested In .the mines arc convinced that
10 solution Is possible whi.h leaves the
union feeling that Il can decide whether q
man eau or can not labor IN tne miles.
kioting and disorder 80 on througn the
region which Is uuder unlon duress Cali
dren whose patoute are at work Ia tho
ulinea arc moubed by other school childreni
beaten, theig housed are stoned, shopkeGp
ers who furnish them with supplies arc
boycotted correspondents are threatened,
and there spreads over the entire region
the influence OF the union, exgrted not by
It's officers who counsel moderation anu
have sought to prevent violence, but by
that share In every union which turns 20
violence when any given strike 10 near It's
end. Public opinion has undoubtedly been
affected unfRvorably for the miners by the
sEiq 1S sqpmit lea by operator Mr
the Miners at Mr. Markle's coliiery TO
break an agreement OF many years stand
ing to submit all differences TO arbitration.
Prices are rapidly advancing II Is By no
means certain whether the strike Will sud
denly break up or viii be protracted until
December. II is yet short by two mouths
~ the longest strike IN the region during
the last thirty years
The root Of the trouble In the an
thracite region is that there Is not enough
work to 20 round We stated this at the
beginning Of the strike, but II mas been
brought out very clearly aud IN detail by
an economic writer OF much ability and ex
Evening Post Of September 8 Practically
the output Of coal Is limited, and the
amount OF labor which II takes to produce
II is therefore limited but the number OF
labcrers seeking employment lg greatly Ia
excess OF the demand Wages are main
tanned but work Is intermittent. not for the
toTemen or overseers, or for the skilled
miners who, according To the best avail.
able ngures, have worked 9s many days tn
under them, whose average time OF employ
meut was less than two-thirds that Of their
superiors So a wage. reasonable by the
day. becomes starvation in the course Of
economic, demand OF these lahouere for op.
portuuity 20 earn reasonable livelihood.
wished tho boss miners to pay more The
latter tried 10 shift the burden on the op
orators, who felt they could not shift II
on the public without risk of losing their
market altogether