Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1902-05-15
LABOR AND TRUSTS

we'll. on occasion of celebration Of elgnt s
hour day.
We are celebrating today in honor OF
the s-hour work day system and to take
a stand for the eight-hour system VIII
ho in tho right direction. There are
benefits to be derived from 1t that
great many of us have never thought
of, and reasons, too.
The keynote to the labor problem Is
supply and demand, and that an over
PRODUCTION of goods on the market
would necessarily decrease the value OF
such goods in the market and not only
Give us less work to do, but less
price for our work.
The labor question is one that l have
studied seriously, as have the inter-
est of the American workingmen Al
boart. have imagined an increase oil
30 per cent. in the price OF mining coal
and a reduction OF at least one hour on
the day from the nine-hour system,
with the enjoyments, comforts ana
bl blessings it might bring, but when
think of the millions Of people employ
cd At a ratio Of about one-balt less than
what the miner gets for his work.
am involved in dilemma from which
there seems to be no way to extricate
mvself Think OF million or more
children seven years old and upward
worrying IL or 10 hours day for lOc 70
45c Where? In the cotton mills OF
tho South. The mine operator Is al
ways ready to to say that the miner Is
the hest paid workman in the country
which il untrue. Other classes OF la
bor are better paid than the miner on
there are many classes that are com
paratively not paid at all.
A few years ago we received rais
on the price of mining coal OF some 2
ner cent, and at different times sine
wa have received rise OF more ina
% per cent. in the price of goods W
receive a 25 per cent. raise on mimi
coal, while factory hands and iso0re'
re. a 20 per cent. rise on the price
the coal they burn. The factory hsh'
of the South are paid almost nOthln
vet we pay so per cent rise on u
clothing we buy. The farmer gets
meaere raise on the products he gro"
while we receive so per cent. addition
on our bread and meat. Arise In u
price Of any kind of work produces
rise in price to the consumer OF the pl
duct. ...u.. Dial
,r The rise in the price of goods in t
T1nited States is unreasonable,
what is the reason? Monopoly, The
of have been more trusts formed in
past four years than ever before IN
Same period Of time. Let US see b
. they govern US.
The cost of mining ton OF coal
9Oc, and the cost to the consumer Is
lls. averape of Sc. Therefore 9Oc goes
ool the miner, and IS. is divided an'
trusts, coal dealers and railroad m
About II per cent goes to the miner
ter ner cent to the railroad, about 20
ted cent to the coal dealer, and the RESI-
lin the combination.
"a The millionaire invests dollar l
ny ton Of coal, pays the railroad comp
~ ~ to haul it to Charleston, 5, y,
vo- It there to a coal dealer for 50, Wh'
fter tnrn sells it for IS to the factory ha
&c, As the factory people have no none
nav for the coal they weave vs. wort
Uhs cloth at 115c yd, or 800 yards Ihe
ting comes back to US and pays US for
inc s22 worth OF coal, charging US
ward for the cloth, and making
nrofit of So, and still has cloth en-
to buy % tons of coal with 4Oc lie
helm nav freight. When he has
resi- the % tons of coal he has made
Nav profit OF sos.
He What has the trust got to do VII
cotton goods. The cost OF maxi
"N ward of calico is about 215c. The
runs chant should have 20 per cent for
1g at ling it, which should make calico
pres US 1-sc yard, but a calico trus'
ends it to US at lOc' ou' OIL 'nS. 'uo :, =
el of hama geS SOou' - oo,,or m,
poration about 1-4c for its prom
railroad company 1-sc cent for ha
the wholesale and retail dealer
3.4c for handling it, and the rest
81 sn' .,os % goes to the trust.
aoct. cannot be said to exaggerate
red by 7 said the coal miner received
work cent. of the price of coal Whe
ley az s figure it at 45c and soc ton, an
81. OF to 81. .13 for mine labor, anC
at 1Sc a lb., and bread at So per b
other things in proportion, the
'u' has nothing left for his share ou
,.d for and meat, and but very little oil
80 l might have exaggerated
oequ@- nlaced the cost OF making calico
lctOrla, a yard. A pound of cotton vii
Ellis, about 10 yards Of calico, 1t is o
oently that cotton sold at &c or
Of 10 yards Of calico sold At &c
eOc. the farmer gets SC, the
Taking and weavers not over lOc. the q
.,,o,a.s about lOc, the railroad eompar
mula Is nc and the trust gets the rest
Q show The trusts also manage our b
@ and VSl, meat supply. Do you know