Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1902-11-13
OPERATORS ANSWER
Independent Mine Owners Reply to
Nitchell's Statement.
MINERS WAGES SAID TO Be Good.
fhe Demand for Weighing Coal by Legal
Ton characterized ~ Th,niy Disgu issd
Effort to secure Increase In Wages
Mitchell Preparing Miners Case.


Mitchell Preparing Miners Case.
Scranton, Pa, Nov. 13.-The answer
OF the independent operators of thu
Lackawanna and Wyoming region tt
the statement of President Mitchell
of the mine workers union, was
made public last night. In response
to the demand for an increase II
wages they say that the present
wages are such as to enable the dill
gent and skillful miner to earn more
per hour than any class of labor
skilled or unskilled, in the towns in
which their mines are located and
amply sufficient to allow him not
only to maintain an American stand
ard of living and educate his chill.
dren, but to lay aside something for
his old. age. That some miners
wages are small, it is stated, is be-
cause they choose to exercise their
option to work only a few hours q
day.
In answering the contention that
mining is extremely dangerous and
unhealthy and tends to shorten life,
the operators set forth a petition re-
Gently circulated in the interest Of
q candidate for mine inspector, which
contained the names of 95 employees
Of one mine. 66 Of whom had worked
In the mine for 20 years or more.
The demand for the weighing Of
coal and payment by the legal ton
Of 2,240 pounds instead Of by the
fictitious ton Of 2,75O or 1900 pounds
is characterized as a thinly disguised
effort to secure a 40 per cent. increase
in wages. The answer asserts that
also pounds Of coal as It comes from
the mine Is barely sufficient to pro-
duce a 2,24O-pound ton Of prepared
coal.
Regarding the declaration Of the
miners that labor unions improve the
morals and discipline Of their mem
bers, this comment Is made.
This may be true when applied to
some organizations, but when APP
piled to the miners union we enter
a most emphatic denial and propose
to introduce evidence showing that
prior to the advent of the United
Mine Workers of America it was con-
sidered bad form to kill or main a
citizen who attempted to exercise his
constitutional right to sell his labor,
and that the vast number of brutal
murders and beatings during the past
five months show that the teachings
of the United Mine Workers has
brought about such moral obliquity
that it's members believed themselves
justified in these acts, also that Off
GERS of the union justified this course
by furnishing bail and counsel for
those who have been guilty Of these
atrocious acts. We believe we will
be able to prove such tremendous
losses of life and money as the direct
results Of the methods Of this partic-
ular union as to convince your hon
orable commission that is is mex
pedient to do any act which may con-
tribute to its continued existence"
Mitchell Preparing the Minors Case
Wilkesbarre, Pa, Nov. 13.-There
was busy time at miners headquar-
tiers yesterday. President Mitchell
was holding conferences all day with
delegations Of miners, his lawyers
and members of the executive boards
OF the United Mine Workers. The
case of the miners, as IL will be sub
mitted to the arbitration commits
sion, which meets at Scranton Fri
day, was gone over carefully by the
executive heads of the miners union,
the attorneys and the expert miners
who we're summoned here especially
for that purpose. District President
Fahey, with delegation Of ten
miners from Shamokin, arrived in
town ut noon. Their testimony as to
the condition Of mining in their re-
gion was taken down by the lawyers
and afterward submitted to Mr..
Mitchell
The evidence collected by President
Mitchell in behalf of the miners Is
voluminous and covers every possible
point that may be raised when the
commission sits. President Mitchell
and his official family will break up
house, to-day and remove to Scran-
ton. President Mitchell and tho other
executive officers of the miners union
declined to discuss the replies of the
president Of the coal-carrying roads
to the statements filed in behalf Of
the miners.