Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1902-09-30
DIFFICULT OF SOLUTION.

The miners strike IN the an
thricite coal district of Pennsyl-
vania has already carried priAa-
ton and hardship to many thous-
and, aad must shortly entail
mueh suffering upon those de-
pendent upon anthracite for their
winier's supply of fuel. Whsn
it is remembered that, saying
nothing of its industrial con.
sumption, this coal Is the domes-
tic fuel used in almost every city
and town east of the Alleghanies
and that thousands of tons of it
are annually consumed in the
homes of the prairie states, we
may form some sort of estimate
of the wide spread effects of this
prolonged strike. Thousands OF
p>ople who have NO other alter.
native are made to suffer hard
ships because the coal operators
and miners are at variance. :
This state Of affairs is contem-
plated with greedy pleasure by
the leaders of the uLions. We
have known miners strikes de-
liberately planned with view OF
clusing the greatest possible dis
tress and suffering as the surest
method of gaining their demands.
L. most instances the operators
are not in fault. No other class
of employers have such selfish,
ignorant and debased creatures to
deal with as have the operators
of the anthracite coal mines. The
mass of these miners are of the
most debased and vicious of our
foreign immigrants. They neith-
er fear God nor respect man.
Force, overpowering physical
force is the only thing they un-
derstand. Their leaders almost
invariably lose control OF them
and it requires the military tore
press them from their violent
acts.
The main contention is the
recognition of theiMiners' Union
and the employment only of its
members. This is supplemented
with the purpose Of bringing the
anthracite and bituminous miners
into one union. All other differ
ences are either settled or easily
may be. When so fair, just and
humane man as G. F. Baer de-
clares the operators cannot yield
to the strikers demands it is al
most conclusive evidence that
these are unjust and impractical
bic.
The question, however, which
concerns the public is how it
may protect itself from the disas-
trous effects of these industrial
disturbances. 1t is apparant this
can be done only by making
strikes impossible. Enforced ar
bitration seems to promise this,
and its advocates are becoming
very numerous, but the most
earnest advocate Of arbitration
admits that it will be an exceed
ingly difficult work to create and
apply a practical plan of arbitra-
ton. Labor unions would have
to incorporate in order to have
legal personality and existence.
They would have to acquire f.
nancial standing so that penalties
for violated contracts, and for re-
fusal to accept the DEGREES of the
arbitrators could be enforced.
Here, at the very threshold to
arbitration, is quite an iusupera-
BILE difficulty. The Unions op-
pose incorporation. If they
should consent to- it, by what
means could they acquire pecuni-
ary responsibility for large sums
in adequate penalties hxeA to en-
force arbitration?
Were the unions composed of
skilled American mechanics,
men of intelligence, public spirit
and earnest patriotisn, as some
Of them are composed, it would
be a problem of much easier So
luton, but, unfortunately, as
we have explained, this is not
true of the miners union. 1t is
true, however, that this is the or
xanization which most frequent
ly and causelessly strikes and
whose strikes most disturb indus
trial pursuits and domestic tran
guilty and comfort.
Of course some method OF pre-
vention will be found and applied,
but just what this shall be is not
apparent. Those who expect to
find it in arbitration will be dis.
appointed.
An enlightened and active
public sentiment which every
where practices and enferces just
Sls-a ~,