Milford chronicle., 1902-06-13
OPERATORS LETTERS
Correspondence With Mitchell on
Coal Situation Made Public.
PRESIDENT BAER's ATTITUDE

Declined to Join In Conference to Fix
Wage Scale For Anthracite Regions,
Claiming 1t Was lmpracticabIe, and
Refused to Agree to Arbitration.
New York, June 1.-THE presidents
of the coal roads Immediately affected
by the strike of the anthracite coal
miners, made public yesterday letters
and kilograms which have passed be-
tween the operators and President |
Mitchell and other representatives OF |
the United Mine Workers. The opera
tors say they have heretofore hest
tated about making public this cor
respoDdence. The president of the
United States" they said. having re-
Quested Mr. Wright, the commissioner
Of labor, to investigate the strike, the
presidents of the coal companies have
given him such facts as he desired, in
Guiding this correspondence, and it is
now given to the public"
The operators preface the cores
pOndence with a brief history Of the
uniOnizing of the anthracite coal min
ers after the establishment OF the
United Mine Workers. originally an or
ganization of bituminous coal miners.
and recite the agreement to an advance
of 10 per cent. in wages in 1901, follow
ing the strike of 1900; the adjustment
Of the sliding scale, and finally the in
vitation of February IA, 1902, to the
! operators to a joint conference to form
a wage scale for the ensuing year. Then
the text of the letters and kilograms
are introduced.
The first letter on the list is that of
President Baer. of the Reading Rail-
road, dated Philadelphia, February IS,
1902, and addressed, as were all replies
of the operators to John Mitchell,
president, and others" at indianapolis.
In part Mr.. Baer says:
Gentlemen beg to acknowledge
the receipt of your favor OF February
IA, inviting this company to be repre-
scented at a Joint conference of opera
tors and miners on March Il, the object
of the conference to be the formation
of a wage scale for the year beginning
April 1, 1902, and ending March 81
1903, and in which you express the
hope that the methods employed by
the miners organization III adjusting
, the wage scale in all districts where i
is recognized and contracted with viii
: commend themselves to us In th'
D judgment of the companies | represent
e it is impracticabie to form a wagt
c scale for the whole anthracite region
y The mining of anthracite coal is en-
tirely different from that OF bituminou
. coal The distinction between the bi
L luminous and anthracite mines is re
e cognized in the Pennsylvania law
It regulating mining, which have been en-
e acted primarily at the solicitation O
e the mine workers. Special laws ar
y created for each.
: 1--WE will always receive and consid
e er every application of the men in on
employ. We viii endeavor to correC
II every abuse, to right every wrong, t
N deal Justly and fairly with them. TIL
N objection to your proposition is ne
u alone the impracticability of formin
10 a uniform scale of wages, but it is
IA the divided allegiance it creates. Di
ra cipline is essential in the conduct
IF, all business. Your organizations hay
p, no power to enforce their DEGREES, al
r. thereby insure discipline, and we ha'
81 no powers to maintain discipline e.
- cept the power to discharge.
en- "A careful analysis of the results
last years operations shows that Il
efficiency of our mines has decreas'
We 100000 tons, because the contra
miners have worked only four and on
half to six hours. a day
with no disposition to interfe
with labor organizations in all hone
IRE efforts to better the welfare and conc
> ton of the working classes, we I
On apectfully decline to join in any co
90 ference for the formation of wa
MS scale for the next year.
IN GEORGE F. BAER. y
he The replies of the other operate
lily follow the same lines, and all decli
. TO join in any conference for the fl
-, nation of a wage scale. The operate
to also claim that to grant an increase
wages would result in the further &
ted vance in the price of coal to the pu
ed lie, which is impracticable, owing
re- the competition of soft coal They off
iOO, ed to allow miners representatives
examine their books, and after sayi
Ing that the anthracite mining is a bu
ties ness and not a religious, sentimen
ich or philanthropic proposition, refu:
the all suggestions for arbitration.
has