Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1902-06-25
The Grievances.

To this, let plain, unvarnished facts
and figures reply.
The Grievances.
For more than rs years the anthra
cite coal mine workers of Pennsylva-
mia have chafed and groaned under the
most intolerable and inhuman condi-
lions of employment imaginable. Their
average annual earnings have been
less than those of any other class of
workmen in the United States, not
withstanding that their work is more
hazardous and the cost of living great
er than in any other important Ameri
can industry. The total number OF
persons employed in and around the
anthracite coal mines is 147,5O0. They
are employed never to exceed 200 days
in any one year and they receive as
compensation for their services an av
erage of SLAP for 10 hour working
day. 1t will thus be noted that they
earn annually less than $500. Such
pay may supply living on par with
some classes of European laborers, but
who will say that it is sufficient to sup
port American citizens or enable par
ents to educate and properly maintain
their families? True it is that a 10
per cent increase in wages was grant
ed by the coal operators as a strike
concession two years ago, but it is also
true that large portion of this 10 per
cent was paid back to the companies
to buy the suppression of an old pow.
der grievance. Moreover, according
to reliable commercial agencies, the
cost of living has increased particu.
larry in the purchase of foodstuffs,
from 80 to 40 per cent, so that the pur-
chasing power of a miners earnings
is less now than before the strike of
1900.
"The presidents of the various coal
carrying railroads have given pub.
licity to a statement that during the
year 1901 the productive capacity OF
mine workers deteriorated an average
OF 12R per cent; in other words, the
United Mine Workers organization is
accused of encouraging poor workman.
ship. An examination of the reports
on coal production compiled by the
United States government discloses
the fact that the allegations of the
railroad presidents are misleading and
untrue.
"The railroad presidents contend
that they can not increase wages with.
out making corresponding increase
in the selling price of their product
to the consumer and have accused the
mineworkers of suggesting PROPOSE
ton that would impose hardship up
on the public by increasing the market
price of coal 10 cents a ton, the
amount that would have been re-
quired to meet all the demands made
by the miners. However, their solicit
tousness for the public veal has not
deferred them from increasing the
selling price 81 per ton since the strike
was inaugurated without giving any
part of the increase to the minework-
ers.
A statement then quotes President
Truesdell of the Delaware, Lackawan
ma G Hudson, who, in his annual re.
port to the directors of his company,
said that the year 1901 would pass in
to history as one of the most satisfac-
tory to the anthracite coal interests
of the country, ever known, and gives
the Commercial and Financial Chron-
icle's comment on the report of Presi
dent Oliphant of the Delaware & Hud.
son, as follows:
"The average of anthracite selling
prices for 1901 must have been 30 to
40 cents higher than in 1900, and the
profits of the coal mining operations
of the Delaware & Hudson in 1901
were $1,407,307."
The statement ridicules as absurd
the offer of President Baer, the recog
nized spokesman of the coal trust, to
submit the books of the coal com.
panies to prove that wages could not
be increased.
In this connection the statement
calls attention to the fact that ton
of coal as the consumer understands
it, is not a ton of coal as the miner
is paid for, that is to say, that the ton
of coal sold the customer weighs 2240
pounds, while when the miner is be.
ing paid for his labor he is required