The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-09-29
DEFENSE OF THE
UNION MINERS
PRESIDENT Mitchell Refutss the
Statements of Mr.. Baer.
ACTS AND FIGURES GIVEN
rRIKE WILL CONTINUE UNTIL
WRONGS ARE RIeHTED.
ACTS AND FIGURES GIVEN


ngthy statement, in which he says:
The recent utterances OF Mr.. Raer.
lokesman OF the anthracite coal trust.
?. Hewitt and other interested presl-
nts. are for the well defined purpose
confusing and clouding the real
uses which resulted IN the coal strike.
I'd an attempt 10 divert attention from
ae actual issues Involved. However
isleading their utterances. IL Is a re-
4 70 know THAI they now admit that
p public has rights and interests
hieh cannot be ignored with impun-
y. and inasnuch as the public must
the final arbiter OF the coal strike.
Is Imperative that II shall not be de-
ived by statements which are at
triance with the facts. With the
irpose OF correcting some false im-
ressions and Misrepresentation con-
81 ined In the statements Of the gem
emen referred 20, / issue this letter.
Comparison Of Wages.
Mr.. Baer states that the wages
bid In the anthracite coal regions are.
impaired with the wages In Ike EN-
oyment. fair and just Mr.. Baer
3 ust refer 10 bitumlnous coal mining
am prepared TO demonstrate that
ages in the bituminOus coal fields
r. from 20 to 30 per cent higher than
bose paid Cor similar classes or work
the anthracite fields. The fact Is
bat the minimum wage received by
ny class OF any adult mine workers
the soft coal mines Is 26lk cents per
our. while the minimum wage paid
boys Is l21z cents per hour. In the
49,
recisely the same labor receive from
20 20 cents per hour. while boys are
: bid as low as cents per hour and
arely exceed cents per hour. The
luminous miner works a maximum
eight hours per day, which Is two
Durs less than men IN the anthracite
eld are required 10 work: moreover,
he anthracite worker labors under
be further disadvantage OF being more
able 20 be killed or injured. the cas-
alties being so per cent greater In the
nthraeite than IN the bltuminous
Ines.
Boy Slate Pickers.
There are other statements OF Mr.!
aer which are equally incorrect.
mong these is his assertion that the
liners only work four TO six hours per
by and his further assertion that the
west scale OF wages was IS cents for
Eby slate pickers. II Mr.. Baer desires,
shall gladly furnish him with the
ames and addresses Of thousands OF
ate pickers each OF whom received
3 UGH less than IS cents per day, and
pail be willing TO have the returns
arifed by the cOmpany's payrolls."
Mr.. Mitchell refers 10 Mr.. Baer's as
rtion that "for some mysterious rea-
On" the miners restricted the output
the mines. aud declares that on the
s. her hand there was an increase m
,e year 1901 from the mines operated
u the Reading company OF SSS. 243 tons,
id a total increase from an the an
racite mines or 100000 tons. Mr..
itchell gives the report OF the Penn
= lvania STATE bureau OF mines 20 sub
5antlate this statement.
Daer's Statement Refute1.
a careful calculation OF per capita
ntput from the Pennsylvania state
zireau Of mines shows that in spite OF
z. Baer's assertion that the miners
orked only from four TO six hours
r day. in spite OF the assertion that
b. men restricted the output. the pro-
zietlon In 1901 the year complained
was greater than the per capita out
pa for any single one of the thirty
&c years OF which We have record,
om 1870 TO 1906
Mr.. Mitchell refers 20 the operators
HsertiOn that the installation of la
Epr-saving machinery reduced the pro-
prtion OF men and boys employed by
b day and gives figures 10 show
sat the per capita output increased
sarly from 1897 10 1901. and says:
Il refer Mr.. Baer 10 the report or
b. Pennsylvania bureau OF state
ines and ask If these figures do not
flute the statement that organization
coal nines is inimical to good
ork."
Miners Unjustly Maiigned.
Mr. Mitchell says that since the very
Seeption OF the present strike the
Gms. objects and ideals OF the United
Zine Workers of America have been
!ifuily distorted by a small army OF
ities. I'VE have" he says, been
HaJsstly maligned and our motives
be purposes maliciously impugned.
e therefore take tais opportunity to
port specifically that we do not seek
interfere with the management of
T. coal properties or with The proper
Esclpline ef the working force"
3 Mr.. Mitchell says that In the twenty !
eaks<of the strike, the whole power
the union has been eXerted 10 pre-
rye peace among a voluntarily idle
sbpulation OF three-quarters OF a mill
Epn." and THAT they have been more
lccessTul in allaying violence than the
pal and iron police"
Regrets Violence.
He regrets the occasional violence
"a says: 1T would be as logical 10
large any one OF the religious. social /
other organizations or even the /
knitod States with being an unlawful (
'vernment when some OF its adher- /
8 Is transgress the law as IL is 20 /
Barge the United Mine Workers of I
Hnerica with being an unlawful or /
enization because some of the mem /
1rs violate the law"
Mr Mitchell denies the truth OF Mr..
.aer's assumption that the pumpmen.
s. gineers and firemen were called out 4
8 that the mines would be destroyed, /
pa With their destruction 10000 men.
m their wives and children. depend 1
q upon their labors. would be de- /
wed o. work for a long time" aud /
Us:
/ The truth Is that the strike OF the /
lmpmen, engineers and firemen was 1
lied IN their own interest absolutely, I
p by their own request" He con- ]
iueg:
Answer 20 Hewitt.
Similar accusations against the mine
prkers are made in a public utter
bee by Mr.. Hewitt ia which that gem
man reveals his real feelings to
zard 0rsanlzed labor. I do not refer
bis expression that ] shall be-
me 'dictator.' In control OF votes
|oagh 20 decide the next presidential
Potion, or to his assertion that IN this
ntest the allied coal presidents are
hung the battle OF Independent Ia
p against the aggressions OF the
a'ed Mine Workers in order that the
iividual workman may be employed |
terms satisfactory 20 himself. AS