Evening star., 1902-09-03

| evidence that has been furnished me, to
| be reasonable and just, and should they be
| adopted, with some notifications perh aps,
| here and there, they would lead to more
peaceful and satisfactory condition in the
anthracite coal regions They may not
| lead. even if adopted fully, to perfect peace
| nor to the millennium. but / believe they
Will help to allay irritation and reach the
| day when the anthracite coal regions shall
| be governed Systematically and in accord
ance with greater justice and higher moral
| principles than now generally prevail On
| either side
Didn't Visit the Coal Regions.
Mr. Wright says he didn't visit the coal
regions, but was represented there by an
experienced and trustworthy assistant. He
spent his time in New York where he was
| oourteously received in every direction Mr..
Wright says:
"All the facts required have been gained
from residents of coal-operating railroads,
Independent operators. capitalists thorough
ly familiar with the coal business but
not engaged in it; presidents. of railroads
not operating coal mines, officials of the
miners union, foremen. superintendent,
business men. miners and laborers.
In the course of his report Commissioner
Wright says that the facts seem to show
that in contradistinction to most strikes,
the officers of the miners union, with per-
haps one or two exceptions, persistently op-
pose the present strike on the ground that
it would probably last all summer and en-
mine workers as well work incalculable
injury to the industrial interests of the
country. They also believed that many of
the alleged wrongs endured by the miners
might be corrected by appeals to the en-
ployers. Their attempt, however. to secure
conferences between the representatives of
the mine workers and the mine operators
proved frutleSS and the miners them
selves decided that strike should be or
ganZed.
Nearly all of the operators have no con-
fidence in the ability of the miners union
to control it's own members to such a de-
gree as to assist in maintaining proper dis
Cipline. Some of the operators and some of
the union officers believe that no great
progress will be made toward more peace
full condition in the mining regions until
anthracite miners have a union of their
own. All of the operators whom Mr..
Wright met disclaim distinctly that they
had any antagonism to labor unions as such.
They did object and most seriously to some
of the methods adopted by the union, and
they feel that when asked to make con-
tract with the union the latter should put
themselves in a position to be pecuniariIy
responsible for carrying out such contracts.
The specific demand of the union that
where miners are paid by weight 2240
pounds shall constitute the ton represents
a lOng-standing difficulty. The miners see
little difficulty in adopting the system of
payment by. weight, but they claim that
they are Systematically defrauded by tha
arbitrary action of the bosses who deter
mine how much deduction shall be made for
impurities and they especially complain
that they are defrauded when paid by the
wagon or car load.
Question of Wages.
When it is shown that a ton of coal, saws
Mr. Wright. contains a varying percentage
of refuse it comes from the mines. it is
difficult to see the force of the argument
why it should not be weighed and the miner
paid for the work he does At least, the
operators, he thinks. ought to share in the
loss OF la Dor in mining impurities. The de-
mand of the miners that wages be IN
creased 10 per cent in the rates per ton to
those men who perform contract work, and
10 per cent reduction in the time of those
who work by the day. is backed by the
statement that after the increase which
was granted in 1900 the prices of all COM
modities in a mining region We're advanced
accordingly. They urge that it is exceed
ingly difficult for them to live properly on
their present wages.
The reduction of time is put forward by
the miners and backed by the statement
that their work takes only about 200 days
IN year and for the remainder of the
time are practically idle. The operators
meet this demand with the statement that
they are able to market only 60 per cent of
the capacity of their mines, and that their
hxed charges, including the pumping, cara
or the mines, etc, go on for tWenty-four
hOurS day and every day in the wear
They insist that the increase of 20 per cert
in wages which the men demand would
mean about 46 cents ton increase. The
total amount of wages paid in the anthra-
cite coal fields last years is stated b. the
operators to have been about 500, 900 go
The increase under the Original demand of
the miners. the operators state, would be
about $40 100000.