The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-29

with the union or surrender their positions.
In fact, many of the local strikes which
occurred In 1901 were in protest against
the action of the companies which discrim-
mated against and discharged union work
men because Of their utilization with the
organization.
STRIKE ACCRETIONS.
I'm this strike IL has been claimed by
enemies of the union and believed by Mr..
Hewitt, although acknowledging himself
a recognized friend of trade organizations,
that men were prevented from going to
work through fear of bodily harm and it
was confidently predicted that the moment
the militia came the strike would resolve
itself into a stampede The militia
has been in Shenandoah for more
than eight weeks and still, for
lack of mine workers. not a pound
of coal has been produced i'm that vicinity.
The militia Is now stationed in the Panther
Creek-valley, in Wilkesbarre and in Scran-
ton, and yet its presence has not been fol-
lowed by the desertion OF q single miner
who laid down his tools on the 18th Of
May. On the contrary. many men brought
here to take the places of the strikers have
joined the ranks of the strikers since the
arrival of the militia, and there is not the
remotest possibility of the mines being sue
cessfully operated until honorable and
equitable settlement of the strike has been
made.
''Reverting to the demands of the miners
Tor increased wages and improved environ
ments Mr.. Baer claims that he cannot pos
stbly pay an Increase in wages that would
amount to 10 or 10 cents per ton to the
miners. but he and the allied presidents adj
init that they can afford to sacrifice tenn
porarfly large market and lose millions
OF dollars rather than pay this increase;
nevertheless. without advancing the miners
wages one cent, the operators did raise the
mo lot Ia fro 70 1tr
per ton. and at the present time Mr. Baer
and his fellow-presidents forcing the
public to pay from Sc to SO excess upon a
ton in order to save this same public 10 or
"Mr. Baer states that 40 per cent of the
coal produced Is sold in the market below
the larger portion of this 40 per cent is
made up OF grades of coal for which the
miners receive no compensation whatever.
the installation of washeries, the miners
were locked for loading this very coal
which brings small prices now in the mar
of reasoning. the miners should receive less
wages for the larger grades because they
mine the small sizes gratuitously.
II shall not enter deliberately into the
question of cost, but shall merely say that
Mr.. Baer's statements utterly misead-
ing. The rise in wages in 1900 was more
the cost of living. which left the miners
worse off than before. Mr.. Baer claims
that this advance of 10 per cent. which was
paid TO the miners in 1900 cost the com
pany more than 10 cents a ton; but this is.
at least, problematical. In March, 1902, the
Engineering Mining Journal (see issue of
order to show what effect the increase In
wages last year had upon the cost of COAL
AS result of this computation, based
upon the figures of the Delaware & Hud-
son, the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western
and the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Com
pany, the Engineering and Mining Jour-
nal. which cannot be accused of being
either friendly fair to US, states that
the conclusion to be drawn is that the
resulting increase In cost was not large:
in all probably not over cents a ton at
| the outside
PER DIEM WAGES.
'Mr. Baer claims that the average pay
per working day in his mines is s1.S9. Ad-
hitting, for the sake of argument. the cor
rectness of his figures, this would make
upon the average number Of working days
in 1901. a grand annual total of 1865 per
| employee, or an average of sos per week
thus, as result of the strenuously opposed
| and bitterly regretted advance wrung from
the operators by the strike of 1900, the
average adult employe of the Reading Coal
| and Iron Company is permitted to spend
| upon himself, his wife and his children the
munifcent sum of $1.01 per day.
In closing this statement 1 desire to
| Quoting this struggle without malice and
| without bitterness; we believe that our
| antagonists are acting upon misrepresen-
| tation rather than in bad faith; we re-
gard them rot enemies, but as OPP
| ponents, and we strike in patience until
| they shall accede to our demands or sub
| nit to impartial arbitration the differ
| ences between us. We are striking not to
| show our strength but the justice of our
| cause, and We desire only the privilege of
presenting our case to fair tribunal. We
| ask not for favors but for justice, and
we appeal our case to the solemn judg-
| ment Of the American people.
| Involved in this fight are questions
| wefghtier than any question of dollars and
| cents. The present miner has had his day;
4 he has been oppressed and ground down,
| but there Is another generation coming up,
| a generation of little children prematurely
| doomed to the whirl of the mill and the
| noise and blackness of the breaker. 1t is
| for these little children we are fighting.
| We have not underestimate the strength
| OF our opponents; we have not over-esti-
| mated our own power of resistance. Accus-
toned always to live upon little, little
| less Is no uncomfortable hardship. 1t was
| with quaking of hearts that we asked for
| our last pay envelopes; but in the grimy
| and bruised hand or the miner was the lit
/ tie white hand of a child child like the
| children of the rich, and in the heart of the
miner was the soul-rooted determination to
| starve to the last crust of bread and fight
| out the long. dreary battle to win a life for
| the child and secure for 1t a place in the
world in keeping with advancing civiliza-
| ton. JOHN MITCHELL