The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-06-23
MITCHELL ISSUESSTAT I
(Continued from First Page

effect, but without avail; the coal mag
 mates replying to all our overtures with
 the declaration that there was nothing
 to arbitrate.
 For more than twenty-five years the
 anthracite coal-mine workers of Penn
 sylvania have chafed and groaned un-
 der the most intolerable and inhumane
 conditions of employment imaginable Their average annual earnings have
 been less than those of any other class
 of workmen in the United States, not
 withstanding the fact that their work is
 more hazardous and the cost of living greater than in any other important
 American industry.
 "The total number of persons employ
 ed in and around the anthracite coal mines is 147.500 They earn annually l less than three hundred thousand dol
 lars. True it is that a ten per cent. in
 crease in wages was granted by the
 coal operators as a strike concession
 two years ago, but 1t is also true that
 a large portion of this ten per cent.
 was paid back to the companies to buy
 the suppression of an old powder griev- ance.
 "The presidents of the various coal
 carving railroads have given publicity
 to a statement that during the year 1901 | the productive capacity of mine work | CTS deteriorated an average of 121a per | cent. An examination of the reports
 on coal production compiled by the i United States government disclos9s the
 fact that the allegations of the railroad presidents are misleading and untrue. l rrNi-. -+o thn contrary. that there was decided in- provement in the productive capacity of the men after they were thoroughly organized
 "The operators have accused the mine workers of suggesting a proposition that would impose hardship upon the public by increasing the market price of coal ten cents a ton, the amount that would have been required to meet all the demands made by the miners; how ever, their solicitude for the public veal has not deterred them from ad- vancing the market price of thfeir coal more than one dollar per ton since the strike was inaueurated without giving any part of this increase to the mine workers
 'In substantiation of our claim that the coal companies can afford to pay in- creased wages to the mine workers without increasing the cost of coal to consumers, we submit that while, &C., cording to President Olyphant, thirteen cents per ton represents the operators increased cost of production in 1901, thirty-nine cents per ton as compared with 1900 represents the increased val ue of the product to the operators. I'm view of the fact that this enormous in- crease in the selling price of coal has been extorted from the consumer by the coal trust can any one say that the demands of the miners for small DOT tion of the increased wealth their labor has produced are unreasonable or un- warranted?
 President Baer, the recognized spokesman of the coal trust made the statement that he was ready to submit the books of the coal departments for our examination in order to prove that wages could not be increased This on the surface. appears reasonable but when dissected and an- alyzed it is positively absurd. Eighty five or ninety per cent. of all coal pro- duced in the anthracite regions is from | mines owned and operated by the va rious coal-carrying railroads; the ! freight charges for hauling ton of | coal one mile are three times | as great as those of other roads for hauling a ton of bituminous coal one | mile; and as consequence the coal de- 1 while actually earning enor- 1 nous profits on a legitimate business, may and do appear to be losing money, | for the reason that the railroad de- partments absorb the profits of the coal departments by charging the coal de- oartments exorbtant freight rates.
 ''In connection with this subject at tention is respectfully directed to the fact that ton of coal, as the consum- PTS understands it, is not a ton of coal IS the miner is paid for 1t; that is to l say when the consumer purchases a on of coal he receives 2,24O pounds, a egal ton; when the railroad companies transport coal to market they receive ariff upon 2,240 pounds, a legal ton, but 1 when the miner is being paid for his abor he is required to produce and load rom 2.740 to 3190 pounds for a ton; md it is against this fragrant injustice hat the anthracite mine workers so vigorously and justly protest.
 "The operators say of course, that | he excess weight is required to com ,ensate them for impurities and refuse natter that is loaded with the coal and annot be marketed, but if their state nent be true why is it necessary to continue a system of docking by which 1t times they arbitrarily deduct from a miners earnings from 10 to 15 per cent. if the total as a penalty for loading im- ,urities for which they have already tenalized him in excess weight? The miners have asked that the coal they roduce shall be honestly weighed and orrectly recorded.
 ''The reports of the mine inspectors