The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1902-10-14
fI1hIM
ii, s .4r,r.-r


coal. Even though the strike should be
declared off today normal conditions
could not obtain in the local market
for weeks, and perhaps months. A de-
/ mand which usually extends itself over
IA season will seek to be satisfied in a
day. Railroads already taxed by an
unusually heavy fall traffic will be call
ed on TO handle a tonnage of coal that
should have been moving from the
mines to local depots all summer. Con
gestion will result. Buyers will bid
against each other and there will be
high premium on speedy delivery.
-,sI,,a N.:ll Dc abnormal. Thus the eff
feet OF the strike will be felt long after
the labor trouble is adjusted or the
miners or the operators have submit
ted.
And yet coat consumers DO not even
know what all the trouble is about.
There are two S.ues and each side has
filed a statement Of the case. These
statements conflict. The court of pub
lie opinion cannot harmoniZe them, nor
can it determine which statement is the
correct one.
According to the mine owners, the
mine workers, through their president,
Nj" joan Michel, demand
First, recognition Of the union as the
representative of the strikers.
Second an ei8ht-hour work day, and
in."G, an increase of wages.
TO the first demand the operators
reply that they will not recognize the
union os n party in the negotiation.
They viii not arbitrate and will make
no agreement with the union. They
have said that they are willing to hear
their own employees on hours and wages
and viii make all concessions which,
after discussion, shall appear reason
able.
President Baer on February IS, in a
letter to the mine workers. wrote:
We VIII always receive and consider
every application of the men in our EN-
ploy We will endeavor to correct every
abuse, to right every wrong, to deal
justly and fairly with them and to give
every man "A fair compensation for the
work he performs. Beyond this we can
not GO"
on September 3 Mr.. Baer again said
in public statement: 1T Is, by rea-
son of varying conditions at each mine,
impractical to adopt a uniform scale
of wages for the whole region; but at
each colliery every complaint and griev-
!
by the superntendents and adjusted
when IT is just"
The operators say that II they grant
ed the demand for union recognition
they would have to admit,
First. that every workman whose
name Is not on the union rolls as q
member in good standing shall be dis
charged;
Second that no non-union men shall
hereafter be employed;
Third, that II a union man shall here
after be dismissed for any cause, he
! shall be relnstated on demand Of the
union or its representative; and fourth,
that the foremen and superintendents
shall be agreeable to the union,
on the other hand the mine workers
say this Is not fair statement Of the
case. Their statement is that on Feb
ruaTy Il the United Mine Workers sent
a letter TO the coal producing companies
Inviting them TO confer over the wage
scale for the year beginning April D.,
1909, The companies declined 10 dis
cuss the question, A convention ~ the
men was held and the following de-
mands were made;
First, an increase of twenty per cent
in wages TO all men performing CON
tract work,
Second, eight hours 20 constitute .
days work for an persons employed
| by the day or week without any re-
duction In their present WaEe rate. ana
Third coal 20 be accurately weighed
and paid for pv Welrhl wherever prae-
! llcahle,