Evening journal., 1902-06-23
ANOTHER APPEAL
FOR ARBITRATION
Mitchell Issues Statement on
Coal Miners Strike
Says Miners Wages Can Be Increased
Without Raising Price OF Coal
to Consumers

Wilkesbarre, Pa, June 23-Presi-
dent John Mitchell, of the United Mine
Workers of America, yesterday issued
an address to the public in reply to
the letters of the operators declining
to accede to the demands of the union,
which were published about ten days
ago.
The address says that every possible
means was resorted to in the effort
TO prevent the strike claims that the
cost of living has increased to the
point where the miner was compelled
to ask for higher wages, denies the
allegations of the operators that the
productive capacity of the mine work
ers has fallen off, but, on the other
hand. has increased; claims that a ton
at the mines means anywhere from
2,74O to $3.50 pounds. instead of 2,24O,
and says that more men are killed and
injured in the anthracite mines of
Pennsylvania than were killed or
wounded during the Spanish-American
ago. The statement concludes with
another appeal for arbitration.
In part President Mitchell says:
"The railroad presidents contend that
they cannot increase wages without
making a corresponding increase in
the selling price of their product to
the consumer, and have accused the
mine workers of suggesting a PROPOSE
tion that would impose a hardship
upon the public by increasing the mar
ket price Of coal ten cents a ton, the
amount that would have been required
to meet all the demands made by the
miners; however, their solicitude for
the public veal has not deferred them
from advancing the market price Of
their coal more than one dollar per
ton since the strike was inaugurated,
without giving any part of this in
crease to the mine workers. In sub
sanitation of our claim that the coal
companies can afford to pay increased
wages to the mine workers without
increasing the cost of coal to consum-
ers, we submit the following extracts
from the government reports, showing
the selling value of coal loaded on cars
at mines for the eleven years, begin
ming with 1890 and ending with 1900,
as compared with 1901. The average
home value of all coal mined and sold
during this period was $1.4S per ton,
while a bulletin issued by Charles d.
Walcott, director of the United States
geological survey, says that for the
year 1901 the increase in the value of
the anthracite product received at the
mines showed a gain of $27,746,169
OF more than 81 per cent. over that of
1900. The average price for the mar
keted anthracite coal was s1.S7, the
highest figure obtained since 1883
president Baer, the recognized
spokesman of the coal trust. made the
statement that he was ready to sub
NIT the books of the coal departments
for our examination, in order to prove
that wages could not be increased.
This proposition, on the surface ap-
pears reasonable, but when analysed
it is positively absurd. Eighty-five or
80 per cent. of all coal produced in the
anthracite regions is from mines
owned and operated by the various
coal-carrying railroads; the freight
charges for hauling a ton Of anthracite
coal one mile are three times as great
as those of other roads for hauling a
ton Of bituminous coal one mile; and
as a consequence, the coal depart
ments, while actually earning enor-
nous profits on legitimate business,
may and do appear to be losing money.
for the reason that the railway de-
partments absorb the profits of the
coal departments by charging the coal
department exorbitant freight rates.
They thus rob Peter to pay Paul
"In connection with this subject at.
tention is respectfully directed to the
fact that a ton of coal as the con
sumer understands it is not a ton OF
coal as the miner is paid for it; that
IS to say, when the consumer purchases
ton of coal he receives 2,240 pounds
a legal ton; when the railroad com
panies transport coal to market they
receive tariff upon 2.24O pounds, le
gal ton; but when the miner is being
paid for his labor he is required tC
produce and load from 2.T4O to S.19C
pounds for a ton. and it is against
this fagrant injustice that the anthra
cite mine workers so vigorously anC
Justly protest. The operators say, o.
course, that the excess weight Is re
quired to compensate them for I'm
purities and refuse matter that is load
ed with the coal and cannot be mar
keted: but II their statement be true
why is il necessary to continue a sys
tenn of docking, by which at time
they arbitrarily deduct from a miner
earnings from 10 to IS per cent. o
the total as a penalty for loading i'm
purities for which they have alread,
penalized him in excess weight? Tn
miners have asked that the coal the.
produce shall be honestly weighed AM
correctly recorded"