Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1902-11-22

l
| began the hearing of the miners sloo oA
| the case at Scranton, Pa.
| When the commission opened its SEES
! sion the only evidence before it was the
preliminary statement of Mr. Mitchell
| and the replies thereto of the operators.
| Mr., Mitchell in an exhaustive state
| ment before the arbiters made it clear
/ that he would insist on full recognition
of the United Mine Workers organlza-
| ton. He gave a powerful description or
! the life of a miner, picturing the hazard
| Gus risks he was subject to and the tatal
! inroads on his health from damp and
| foul gases. The injustice of the NINE
| owners never has been more strongly
| painted. Downright dishonesty is charg-
/ ed in their method of increasing tonnage,
while paying for the standard ton. Inc
| responsibility of organized labor is point
! ed out and most of the trouble is traced
i to the refusal of the railroads and mn
i ing corporations to recognize these Organ
/ izations, while dealing unfairly with the
| individual. Hypocrisy is the charge lev
eled against the claim that the bltumln-
| GUS owners and the anthracite men are
! in competition. Child work in the break
| ers and the failure of education to reach
the miners children is deplored. The
| standard of living is the test OF clvlllza-
| ton. according to the union leader. That
standard must be raised at the mines.
| Mr.. Mitchell prefaced his statement
| with the hope that the commission
| would succeed in establishing relation
| ship between the operators and the MIN
| ers that will insure peace and stability
| in the industry for an indefinite period.
He recited the causes which led up to the
| strike, and then took up the question or
wages.
Tells of Conditions.
"Of the 147, 700 men and boys employ
| ed" he said, "64 ,072, or about 10 Per
| cent are employed on contract or piece
work, the remaining $4,000 being employ
| ed by the hour, day, week or month. VI
that 64,O72 contract men, ,SO4 are min
ers and &c, 26S are mine laborers."
Bearing on the wage question, he spoke
| of the miners life. HE is engaged in
a more dangerous work than employment
| in any other important industry in the
| world. More men are killed, each day en-
! an average two persons giving up their
| lives to produce coal. If the miner cs-
| capes death or injury he cannot escape
| the deadly miners asthma. Scarcely
! mineworker exists who has not contract
| ed it. Compelled to work in powder
smoke, foul air, many of them i'll water
| the result is such that reputable insur-
| ance companies will not issue policies ON
| their lives.
| "Yet these men receive less wages an
nually than are received by men perform
| ing precisely similar work in other fields,
under more favorable and less hazardous
| conditions"
! The workers in the bituminous coal
| fields and in the silver, gold, copper and
| iron ore miners We're instanced.
The increase of 20 per cent asked, Mr..
| Mitchell declared would not be suti-
| cient to carry an insurance policy of
| 900 for the widows and children.
| The speaker showed that the eight
hour day demanded was the standard in
| the mines of Great Britain and in all the
| mines of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri,
Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan,
Kentucky, Tennessee, western Pennsyl
vania and the Indian Territory. A pc
culiar fact is that more coal is mined
under this system than formerly produc-
ed with ten hours work a day.
Calls Pay System Dishonest.
Coming to- the method of paying the
workmen according to tonnage, Mr..
Mitchell declared that until an honest sys-
tSm was adopted there could be no con-
tentment. Paying for coal by the car.
or by ton weighing from 2,74O to $3.50
pounds, while a ton really consists Of
2,24O pounds" he said, SIS a fragrant
wrong. The cars have been made larger,
more topping is required, and yet there
has been no corresponding increase paid
per car or per ton.
hn MI of hn in do inv
900 to 1000 pounds car, on the pretense
that the miners loaded impurities was
bitterly commented on. ut is Furnishing
the miner twice for the same offense"
said the speaker.
Coming to the recognition of the min
ers union, the president grew eloquent
I'VE demand recognition" he said, "be-
cause we know that permanent peace
and friendly relations can be best main
tanned through q trade agreement with |
the organization which our people have
elected to join. Fully 80 per cent of the |
employees of the anthracite coal mines |
are members of it from choice, they de- |
sire to retain their membership in it. 1t |
was the United Mine Workers of Amer |
lea that conferred with the President of |
the United States in relation to the sub |
mission of the issues involved in the coal |
strike to this commission; it was the |
United Mine Workers of America that |
was requested by the President to end |
the strike; it was the United Mine Work |
ers of America that declared the strike
at an end; it was the United Mine Work
ers that sent the men back to work and |
1T is the United Mine Workers Of Amer
lea that pledged to accept the award of |
this commission"
Safe Rlorara -, Tndsaa