Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1902-09-11
STRIKE DISCUSSED.
President Baer and Senators Quay
and Penrose Confer.
BAER'S REPLY TO THE SENATOR'S.
He Declares That None of the Differences
Can BE Arbitrated and That Anthra-
cite Coal Has been Sold Below
Cost Of Mining.

Philadelphia, Sept. 4.-President
George +. Baer, Of the Reading COM
pany, and United States Senator's
Quay and Penrose held long confer
ence yesterday afternoon in the ex-
ecutive offices Of the Reading com
pany in this city at which the anthra-
cite coal miners strike was thor
oughly discussed. At the conclusion
of the conference President Baer is
sued a lengthy reply to the two sena-
tors. Among other things he said:
II recognize that it is your right
and your duty as senator's, represent
ing the great state Of Pennsylvania,
to do whatever can legitimately be
done to end q strike that so serious
ly affects business and brings so
much suffering to the women and
children Of the coal regions. The
newspapers story that l said the
strike was private affair which did
not concern the public is a reckless
fabrication. Now, what I have said
is that the management Of business
belongs to the owners. In the case
Of coal companies the law casts the
management and control on tho d.
rectors and officers, whose response
bility is to their stockholders, to the
state and to the public. The right
Of the stockholder Is to have good
management and fair return on his
investment. The obligation to the
state is to conduct the business In
strict conformity to the laws it has
established. The duty to the public
is, so far as practicable, to conduct
the business so as to add to the COM
mon welfare.
"The coal operators say that they
cannot mine coal because the min
ers make demands which render 1t
impossible to mine coal proftably
and that the state has enacted laws
prohibiting the employment of men
in the mines unless they have
worked two years in anthracite
mines, and therefore they cannot for
the time being mine coal. How, then,
under these circumstances, can there
be any violation of public duty? II
we attempt to increase the price Of
coal we will destroy the industries
depending upon anthracite fuel. II
we increase the price on the domestic
sizes we will be called robber barons,
oppressors Of the poor, monopolists
and enemies of mankind. We have
concluded, therefore, that our duty
to ourselves and to the public will
best be served by standing firmly on
these propositions:
"1-That the wages paid In the an
thracite coal regions are, compared
with the wages paid in like employ
ment, fair and just and that men
willing to work honestly can earn
more money on the present basis OF
wages than in any other industry
engaged in producing common arti-
cles Of necessity in the United States.
"2-That wages cannot be increased
without increasing the price OF coal
and to increase the price Of coal will
restrict the market and drive the
public to use bituminous coal,
cheaper and more abundant fuel,
and that restricted market will cur
tail production and result in depriv-
ing the miners Of regular employ
ment.
"3-That we are not fighting labor
organizations. We fully recognize
the right Of men to organize to pro-
tect themselves from oppression and
to benefit themselves in any legiti-
mate way. But we do oppose their
unreasonable interference with the
discipline and ordinary management
Of our business. We will not permit
them TO select our employees. Neither
politics, religion, nationality or mem
bership in labor organizations shall
debar any competent man from
working for us. We are fighting the
battle Of freedom for the individual
and his right to labor on his own
terms.
"4-That it is by reason Of varying
conditions at each mine impractical
BILE TO adopt a uniform scale OF wages
for the whole region But that at
each colliery every complaint and
grievance will be taken up and in
vestigated by the superintendent
and adjusted whenever it is just. /
personally offered to Mitchell and his
district presidents to go with them
and investigate any grievance.
"You see, senator's, none OF these
things can be the subjest OF arbitra-
ton"
President Baer devotes consider
able space to the efforts at arbitra-
ton made by the Civic federation.
He says that every phase of the situ-
alton was fully and fairly discussed
and that the coal companies offered
to produce all books that would
throw any light on the subject;
showed them the balance sheet OF
the different companies; pointed out
that the three anthracite coal-carry-
ing companIes-the Reading, Lehigh
Valley and Erie-had not paid din-
dends on their stock for years; pro-
duced the records showing coal sales