Delaware gazette and state journal., 1902-11-13
ssociated Press Dispatch BY Special wires,


sarIIy increase fIie Price of Coal.
Associated Press Dispatch by Special Wires,
Washington, Nov. IL The reply OF
the Delaware s. Lackawanna Go. to
President Mitcbell's statement to the
Anthracite Coal Strike Commission
was made public today. 1t is signed
by W. Ii. Truesdale, president of the
company, who says that the company
owns IS anthracite collieries and EN-
ploys II, 600 men in this branch Of its
business. Mr.. Truesdale, like Mr..
Baer, objects to making the recogni
tion of the union one of the issues
to be considered by the commission.
saying that in the proposition made by
| the company for arbitration one Of the
express conditions WAS that the find
| ings of the commission should govern
| the conditions Of employment between
! it and its employees. /" He aods: ..1lhis
company unequivocaliy asserts that it
will under no condition recognize or
| enter into any agreement with the
association known as the United Mine
| Workers of America or any branch
| thereof, nor viii it permit the said
association or its officers to dictate the
terms and conditions under which it
shall conduct its business. .
Referring to the recent strike, Mr..
! Trlesdsle says that be is reliably in
| formed that SO per cent of the com
pany's employees we're opposed to the
! strike, hat were forced to enter upon
\ by majority vote OF the mine workers
| in other fields. Mr.. Truesdale follows
| closely the lines Of MIR Baer's argu-
/ msnt as to the dissimilarity between
the work in tho anthraoifsamine5 and
that in tho bituminods iAnes. He
declares that it is impossible to adopt
uniform rate to be paid to the miner
for a unit OF coal mined at all mines.
The declaration also is mnde that the
anthracite miners as rule do not
work as many hours day as do the
bituininous miners, and the opinion
is advanced that If the wages OF the
anthracite miners had been less than
that OF other workingmen they would
have found employment elsewhere.
which they did not do. On the point
of general prosperity he says that
"prior to the introduction of agitators
and mischief makers the anthracite
workers were on an average as pros
porous, comfortable and contented as
any body of workers in similar employ
ment in this country The wages, ii
is added, are such that frugal employees
have saved substantial amount every
year.
MIR. Truesdale resists the demand for
reduction of 20 per cent in hours of
labor, saying that no such branch OF
business, employing thousands of mon,
can hope to compete successfully in the
/ markets of the world if its hours OF
labor are restricted. He declares thai
there is no unjust discrimination IL
| the weighing of coal, as it is measured
J rather than weighed; and he assert
that the demand is ssout of all reasc
and its effect, SO far as this compnt
is concerned, is demand for an add
tionaI increase in the wages now pal
miners of from to 40 per cent. Tn
present method Of measurement is &c
clared to be the result OF long usage
! and fair to all concerned.
: President Olyphant of the Delawnr-
& Hudson Co., in his reply, declares
that the wages paid by his company ara
Just and adequate. He also says that
s.those Of it's employees who perform
! contract or piece work, as matter Of
their own Volition, work only about six
hours day and take numerous holi-
: days without the consent or approval OF
! this respondent; and their earnings by
hours of actual work are, therefore
much higher than those in any similar
employment" Denial is made Of all the
/ allegations in connection with the de-
. macd for shorter hours, and it is con
! tended that such a reduction neces.
. sarily would increase the price Of ccal.
I While admitting that the mine owner.
1 sell ltheir coal by the ton, he says thai
! thu cal thus sold is very different
4 art& lie from that taken out of the mine.
{ Hence, he contends against the change
from the present system of payment tc
that of paying by the ton. He alSc
takes exception to the proposition tc
arbitrate the question of the recogni
: tion of the miners union. This posi-
: tion is placed on the ground that tbs
? organization seeks TO control the entire
, fuel supply of the country; that, IS the
union is unIncorporated, il is incapa.
ble Of making binding contract, anc
y that the association has shown its in
ability to control its own members- lie
4 says fis company has no desire to dis
y criminate against members of the union.
A President L. P. Fowler speaks fol
the Scranton Coal Co. and the Elk Hill
4 Coal and Iron Co. He says they owr
10 collieries and employ 5, 600 men. III
i asserts that If the average wages earnef
4 by the anthracite pieeeworkers are les
than those paid to workers in othe
employment, it is because Hthey til
4 their own hours OF labor and thl
4 amount of their earnings without an!
y regard for the interests or wishes o
e their employers and in total disregnf'
!. OF the earnings and welfare OF eYei,
other class of employees T" He declare
:. that the men in the mines do not worl
more than four or five hours day. Al
other charges made by Mr.. Mitchell ar
4. combatted, and on the question Q
1; miners unions Mr.. Fowler says: NW
deny that agreements between en-
ployers and employees through working
ig mems organizations are beneficial an
successful in the bituminous coal field
j. or elsewhere, and assert that any sue
IS agreement as method of regulatin
II production would be and is iniurioU
to the best interests of the public. =