Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-11-13
.BARONSBITTER
AGAINST
UNION
OPERATOR TRUESDALE SAYS
HIS COMPANY WILL NEVER
RECOGNIZE THE UNION OR
MAKE A CONTRACT WITH 1T,

recognition of United Mine workers OF
/ America an issue in the arbitration which
/ IS now in progress is made evident by the
| REPLIES TO the statement of President
John Mitchell of the miners organiza-
4 ton which have been filed with the
i strike commission. There are five OF
these answers in addition to that OF
/ President Baer which was given out yes
Il terdav and all dweit with especial empha-
| sis and marked unanimity on this point.
They also agree in resisting the demands
OF the miners for increase of pay Tor
I niece work. a reduction of hours for
! time work and for the weighing rather
/ than the measurement of coal.
| Recorder Wright left for the anthracite
! regions today taking these replies with
/ him. In addition to the statement made
for the Reading company by President
1 Baer the list comprises the replies OF
the Delaware and Hudson company; the
Delaware and Lachawanna, the Lehigh
Valley, the Pennsylvania and Scranton
coal company.
Truesdale's Reply to Mitchell. =.
The reply of the Delaware and
Lackawanna Railroad company to
/ President Mitchell's statement to the
| anthracite coal strike commission was
/ made public today. 1t was signed by w.
/ II. Truesdale, president Of the company
1 who saws that the company owns % an
/
men in this branch of its business. MT.
Truesdale, like Mr.. Baer, objects to max
| ing the recognition of the union one OF the
1 issues to be considered by the commission.
/ saying that in the proposition made py
Il the company for arbitration one OF the
express conditions was that the findings
/ of the commission should find the condi-
ton OF employment between 1t ana It's
| employees"
He adds: This company unequivocally
asserts that it will under no condition
| recognize or enter into any agreement
| with the association known as the United
Mine Workers of America or any branch
thereof Nor will 1t permit said associa-
ton or its officers to dictate the terms
Il and conditions under which 1t shall con-
duct it's business"
| Referring TO the recent strike, Mr..
Truesdale says that he is reliably INFORM
ed that 50 per cent of its employees were
| opposed to the strike, but were forced to
| enter upon II by majority Tote or the
mine workers in other fields. Mr.. Trues-
dale follows closely the lines OF Mr.. Baer' $
| argument as to the dissimllarity IN the
work OF the anthracite mines and that IN
! bItuminous mines. He declares that It is
impossible to adopt a uniform rate to be
| paid TO the miner for unit of coal mined
| at all mines The declaration also is made
that the anthracite miners as rule DO
not work as many hours day as do the
bituminous miners and the opening is
| advanced that IL the wages of the anthra-
! cite miners had been less than that Of
other worlingmen they would have found
employment elsewhere. which they did
| not do until they reached the point of
| general prosperity. He says
"Prior to the introduction of agitators
and mischief makers the anthracite work.
ers were on an average as prosperous,
| cd NJ hOf7W Of
workers in similar employment in this
country"
sayes Wages Were Good.
The wages. II is added, are such that
frugal employees have saved a substantial
amount every year.
Mr.. Truesdale resists the demand for a
! reduction of 20 per cent in hours of labor.
saying that no such branch of business
employing thousands of men can hope to
compete successfully in the markets Of
the world IL its hours of labor are re-
stricted. He declares that there is no un-
just discrimination in the weighing OF
coal as Il is measured rather than weigh
ed, and he asserts that the demand Is out
of all reason, and its effect, so far as
this company is concerned, is a demand
for additional increase in the wages now
paid miners of from to 40 per cent.
The present method of measurement is
and fair to all concerned.
President Olyphant, of the Delaware
and Hudson company, in his reply de-
clares that the wages paid by his COM
pany are just and adequate. He also
says that those of its employees who per-
form contract or piece work as a matter
OF their own volition work only about
six hours a day and take numerous holi-
days without the consent or approval OF
this respondent, and their earnings, by
hours of actual work, are therefore much
higher than those in any similar employ.
ment.
Denial is made Of all the allegations
in connection with the demand for shorter
hours, and IL is contended that such re-
duction necessarily would increase the
price of coal. While admitting that the
mine owners sell their coal by the ton
he says that the coal thus sold is a very
different article from that taken out oil
the mine Hence he contends against the
change from the present system of pay.
ment to that of paying by the ton.
President ELEPHANT also takes exception
to the proposition to arbitrate the ques
ton OF the recognition of the miners
union. This position Is placed on the
ground that the organization seeks tC
control the entire fuel supply of the
country; that as the union is unincorpo
rated IL is incapable of making binding
contract and that the association has
shown it's inability to control it's owr
members. He says his company has nj
desire to discriminate against members o.
the union.
President T. P. Fowler speaks for the
Scranton Coal company and the Elk Hill
Coal and Iron company. He says they owl
Is collieries and work 5000 men. He as
serts that If the average wage earned by
the anthracite piece workers is less thar
that paid to workers in other. employment
IL is because they fix their own hours o.
labor and the amount of their earnings
without any regard to, the interests OF
wishes of their employers and in tota
disregard of the earnings and welfare Of
every other class of employees"
He declares that the men in the mine.
do not work to exceed four or five hour:
a day. All other charges made by Mr.
Mitchell are combatted and on the ques
ton Of the miners union Mr.. Fowler
says:
I'VE deny that agreements between EN-
plovers and employees through working
mems organizations are beneficial and
successful in the bituminous coal field.
or elsewhere and assert that any such
agreement as a method of regulating
production would be and IS injurious L
the best interests OF the public. "F. s
The statements made for the Iyehigi
Valley and the Pennsylvania companies
cover the. same ground, as the othe
statements. -,-t .:-. e4-s-ier ~ 800.
80 $500 r#a