Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-23
Mines Owned by Railroads.

"Eighty-fve 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 If btuminous
coal one mile, and, as a5consequence, the coal
departments, while actually earning profits
on a legitimate business, may easily appear
to be losing money for the reason that the
railway departments absorb the profits of
the coal departments by charging the coal
departments eXorbitant freight ates. They
thus rob Peter to pay Paul 1t cannot be
said, in eXtenuation, that there is any pc
culiar necessity for this triple charge on
hard coal, for all other kinds of freight
very much more troublesome to handle and
more perishable-are carried at far lower
rate
I'm connection with this subject atten-
ton is respectfully directed to the fact that
ton Of coal as the consumer understands
1t is not ton Of coal as the miner Is paid
for 1t; that is to say, when the consumer
purchases ton of coal he receives 224O
pounds, legal ton: when the railroad COM
pan1es transport coal to market they re-
ceive tariff upon 2.240 pounds, a legal ton !;
but when the miner is being paid for his
labor he is required to produce and load
from 40 to 3, 100 pounds for a ton and
1t Is against this fragrant Injustice that
the anthracite mine workers so vigorously
".
course, that the excess weight is required to
compensate them for impurities and refuse
matter that is loaded with the coal and
cannot be marketed, but If their statement
system Of docking by which at times thew
arbitrarily deduct from a miners earnings
from 10 to 10 per cent Of the total as a
penalty for loading impurities for which
weight?
1T must be obvious to every Intelligent
observer that the coal companies derive a
considerable income from the continuance
of their employees, as they thus receive
large amount Of marketable coal for which
they return no compensation to the miner
The miners have asked that the coal thew
produce shall be honestly weighed and cor
rectly recorded. wa
Statistics as to Fatalities.
THE reports of the mine inspectors bu-
reau OF the state Of Pennsylvania show
that during the past decade the average
yearly fatalities in the anthracite coal
mines were 437; and that for the year 1901
there were 44 fatal and 1855 non-fatal ac-
cidents; this means that for every 1I9. 600
tons of coal brought to the surface one per
son Is killed and more than two seriously
injured; 1t means that for each day the
mines are In operation more than two per-
sons lives are sacrificed and. more than
hve persons are injured Indeed. 1t is a
matter of record that eight times as MANY
men and boys are killed and injured an
nually IN the anthracite coal mines Of
Pennsylvania as were killed and wounded
from the American ranks In the Spanish
American war in Cuba"
Mr.. Mitchell then cites the records of the
police courts to disprpve the charge of law
iessness against the dinners. and refers to
the presence Of a perfect army Of coal
and iron police, who proldly display their
revolvers and rifles and hapnt their author
or provoke them to acts of violence
Plea for Arbitration.
In conclusion. he says: ut Is now appar-
ent that the real purpose of the coal opera
tors is to destroy organisation among their
workmen. If by any chance they should
succeed In their design-wAich is not at all
likely-another labor Organization will
spring from the ruins Of the United Mine
Workers Of America, and the contest for
living wages for hurSane conditions of en-
ployment for better EDUCATION, Hor higher
citizenship, will go Gn until the men who
produce coal, the originating motor power
which drives the wheels OF commerce and
industry, the product that Ia so essential to
the welfare Of society, the mineral which
is the very foundation Of our national pros
perity. shall receive for their labor suf1i-
Gent compensation to relieve them of the
necessity of sending their boys and girls,
of tender years. and fra1 physique, to the
mines ana mills, there to destroy their
youthful vigor in an effort to assist their
underpaid parents to maintain their fami-
lies.
Conscious of the great responsibility
resting upon us. apprehensive of the danger
threatening our commercial supremacy,
should the coal miners of the entire United
States become participants in this struggle.
we repeat our proposition to arbitrate ali
questions in dispute, and If our premises
are wrong. If our position Is untenable, AZ
our demands cannot be sustained by facts
and figures we will again return to the
mines. take up our tools Of Industry, and