River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1902-10-02
MITCHELL ANSWERS BAER.
Denies Many of the Railway Mans
Statements and Defends
the Strike.

Philadelphia, Sept. 29.-John Mitch
ell, president of the United Mine
Workers, has answered President
Baer and Mr.. Hewitt, declaring false
most of their published statements
regarding the mine strike. He said
Baer's figures on wages in the an
| thracite fields were errors and that
the hard coal miners receive from 20
to 40 per cent. less money and work
two hours more a day than soft coal
miners.
| Bacr's declaration that the miners
restricted the output in 1901 Mitchell
fatty denies, and quotes official re-
ports showing the output was great
er than ever before.
Regarding rioting, Mitchell declares
| the strikers have been orderly, that
most of the reported violence is eX-
| aggerated or untrue. He blames
mine guards for the greater part of
the lawlessness, and says the union
has ever worked to maintain peace.
He declares the pumpmen, engin-
GERS and firemen struck of their own
accord and because their demands
were refused.
Mitchell argues that the object of
the operators is to crush the union,
and declares the strike will never end
| until the questions are decided by
arbitration
AS to Mr.. Baer's statement that
the operators cannot pay more than
10 to Is cents increase in wages, Mr..
Mitchell says that last year the OPP
orators raised the market price 80 to
so cents a ton, and are now charging
| an excess of from six to ten dollars
ton to save the public IS cents.
Boston, Sept. 29.-Petition that re-
ceiver be appointed for the leading coal
carrying roads and coal companies i'm
the anthracite district in Pennsylvania
was filed Saturday. The move was
made by G. A. Litchfield and others in
the form of bill in equity filed in the
supreme court The following are
made defendants: The Philadelphia q
Reading Railroad company, the Cen
trail Railroad of New Jersey, the Le-
high Valley Railroad company, the
Delaware, Lackawanna q Western
Railroad company, the Delaware d
Hudson company, the New York, On
taria & Western Railway company, the
Erie Railroad company and the Phila-
| delphia d Reading Iron and Coal com
| pany. 1t is asked that action be taken
| for the benefit of all concerned upon
such terms and in such manner and
| with such agents and servants and with
such rates of wages and other condi-
tions of employment, and at such
prices for goods produced and sold as
the court shall from time to time adj
| Judge proper. The bill is based on the
legal theory of the coal situation,
! given by Fl. w. Chaplin, the lawyer,
based on Chief Justice Waite's decision
in the Chicago grain elevator case,
though the plaintiffs seek the remedy
in the supreme court Of Massachusetts.
Meriden, Conn, Sept. ga mass
meeting under the auspices of the
| Economic league was held here Sun
| day, at which resolutions addressed
| to Gov. Stone, of Pennsylvania. were
adopted After reciting that as n re-
suit Of the miners strike the price
of coal is daily increasing and the
supply diminishing, which, is the sit
uation remains unchanged, will re-
suit in the death of many persons
| from exposure to cold and it's effects,
| the resolutions continue: owe petit
ton you, therefore, to start the
mines through receiver, if that be
possible; if not, then by martial law
and military, taking possession in the
name of the state"
Wilkesbarre, Pa, Sept. 20. ~ The
twentieth week of the strike ended Sat
urday and the estimate of the losses
in that period are:
T,oss TO operators in price of Goals AZ. 500 600
| Loss to strikers in wages........ $500 900
| Loss to employees other than min
erS ................ $40. .'.'''''''' D,olV'VVO
| Loss to railroads in earnings...... 100000
! Loss to business men in reglon.... 14SO0,C00
eions ............. .................. S,9O0,CC0
| Cost Of maintaining coal and iron
| Cost of maintaining nonunion
workers ..........:..... ........... b5O,OOO
Cost of maintaining troops in
nelQ .............. 80. ............. 4OUsuVp.
Loss to mines and machinery. $4,000
Total ................ ............$12S,2 2O OO3