The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-29
JOHN MITCHELL SAYS BAER HAS
 TRIED TO MISLEAD THE PUBLIC
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 fear that I shall become dictator, in control of votes enough to decide the next Presidential election or to his as- sertion that in this contest, the allied coal presidents are fighting the battle of independent labor against the aggres- sions of the United Mine Workers in or der that the individual workman may be employed upon terms satisfactory to nlm- self As an influential director of one or the coal roads, Mir Hewett is undoubt- edly aware that the companies are fight ing to compel the workmen to accept em- ployment under conditions satisfactory to the coal trust and that the preservation of mans individual rights is simply cloak under which they seek to destroy organization among their employees. He is undoubtedly in a position to know that membership in an organization was drowned upon by the mine managers and that specific instructions were issued from the general offices of the coal com panies notifying some classes of work men that they must either sever their connection with the union or surrender their positions. In fact many Of the local strikes which occurred in 1901 were in protest against the action of the com panies which discriminated against the discharged union worlSmen because Of
 
 this strike it has been claimed by ene- mics of the union and believed by MT. Hewett although acknowledging himself recognized friend of trade organiza- tions that me were prevented from going to work through fear of bodily harm and it was confidently predicte~ that the moment the militia came the strike would resolve itself into a stampede.
 Not Pound of Coal Produced.
 'orhe militia has been in Shenandoah for more than eight weeks, and still, for lack of mine workers, not a pound of coal has been produced in that vicinity. The militia is now stationed in the Panther Creek valley in Wilkesbarre and in Scranton, and yet its presence has not been followed by the desertion of a single miner who laid down his tools on the 12th of May. On the contrary, many men brought here to take the places of the strikers have joined the ranks of the strikers since the arrival of the militia, and there Is not the remotesr possibility of the mines being successfully operated until an honorable settlement of tho strike has been made.
 .'Reverting to the demands of the miners for increased wages and improved environment, MT. Baer claims that he ' cannot possibly pay an increase sn wages that would amount to 10 or 15 cents per ton to the miners, but he and the allied presidents admit that they can afford to sacrifice temporarily a large market and lose millions of dollars rather than pay this increase; nevertheless, without ad- 1 vancing the miners wages one cent, the i operators did raise the market price last year from 30 to 50 cents per ton, and at the present time MT. Baer and his fellow presidents are forcing the public to pay from $6 to $10 excess upon a ton in order to save this same public 10 or 15 cents.
 Below Cost of Living.
 MT. Baer states that 40 per cent of the coal produced is sold in the market be- low the cost of mIning, but he fails to say that the larger portion of this 40 per cent is made up of grades of coal for which the miners received no compensa- ton whatever. Indeed, up to a few years ago, or before the installation of wash cries the miners were docked for loading this very coal which brings small prices now in the market. and according to MT Raers process of reasoning the miners would receive less wages for the larger grades because they mine the small sizes gratuitously.
 q shall not enter elaborately into the que tstion of cost, but shall merely say that MT. Baers statements are utterly misleading. The rise in wages in 1900 was more than counterbalanceu by an in- crease in the cost of living which left 
 Baer claims that this advance of 10 per cent which was paid the miners in 1900 cost the companies more than 10 cents a ton but this is at least protlematical. In March, 1902, the Engineering and Mining Journal made a careful calculation in or der to show what effect the increase in wages last year mad upon the cost of coal As a result of this computation. based upon the figures, Delaware apd Hudson, the Delawsre, Lackawanna ard Western, and the Lchigh Ceal and Navi- gation company, the Engineering and Mining Journal, which cannot be abused of being either friendly or fair to us. states that the conclusion to be drawn is that the resulting increase in cost was large. in all probability not over 5 cents a ton.'
 Average of $7.05 Per Week.
 INT. Baer claims that the average pay per working day in his mines Is sl.s9. Ad- e. 4tx.. -Irr <<& 4I<z