The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-06-24
WHY MINERS
ARE STRIKING
PRESIDENT MITCHELL MAKES
STATEMENT TO PUBLIC.
men ARE PAID TOO LITTLE
Trusts Can Well Afford to Increase
Wages With Enormous Earn.
ings Wrune From Public.

Wilkesbarre, Pa, June 22.-John
Mitchell, president of the United Mine
Workers of America, issued the fol
lowing statement. 1t is in reply to-
the letters of the presidents declin-
ing to accede the demands of the
miners, which were issued about ten
days ago:
''Wilkesbarre, Pa, June 22.-To the
public: If the contest now in prog
ress in the anthracite coal regions
Of Pennsylvania affected only the well
fare ct the railroad and mining cor
porations on one hand and the coal
mine workers on the other hand, the
people would have no vital interests
at stake, and consequently would be
less concerned than it now is in the
continuance, the extension or the
termination of the conflict, but mas
much as there is a third and import
ant interest involved, which although
in no wise is responsible for the
strike, is nevertheless an innocent
victim thereof, it is but fair and prop
er that the general public should be
fully and accurately informed upon
versy.
eff it shall be asked why we have
waited until the close of the sixth
week of the strike to issue statement
of this nature sufficient answer may
be found in the fact that we have
hesitated to utter any word or to
take anv position that would impede
or embarrass easy reconciliation with
the coal operators. Every delay and
precaution, every conceivable concil-
iatory effcrt that honorable and con-
servative men could take to avert a
rupture and every means that thought
could suggest to bring the matter in
dispute to arbitration was resorted to
by the union, both before the strike
order was issued and since it went in
to- effect, but without avail; the coal
magnates replying to all our over
lures with the declaration that there
was nothing to arbitrate. This state
me1it on their part is equivalent to
saying that the coal mine workers
have made unreasonable demands and
have struck without real or sufficient
cause. To this plain. unvarnished
facts and figures reply.
For more thanN2 years the anthra-
cite coal mine workers of Pennsyl-
vania have chaffed and groaned under
the most intolerable and inhuman
conditions of employment imaginable.
Their average annual earnings have
been less than those Of any other
class of w,orkmen in the United
States, Notwithstanding the fact that
their work is more hazardous and the
cost of living greater than in any 9th
er important American industry. The
total number of persons employed in
and around the anthracite coal mines
is $4,000. They are employed never
to exceed 200 days in any one year,
and they receive as compensation for
their services an average of SLAP for
a ten-hour workday. 1t will thus
be noted that they earn annually less
than $500. Such pay may supply q
living en- a par with some classes of
European labcrers, but who will say
that it is sufficient to support Amer
lean citizens or enable parents to
educate and properly maintain their
families.
The Increase.
"True it is that a 10 per cent in
crease in wages was granted by the |
coal companies as a strike conces-
sion two years ago, but it is also true
that a 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-
larly in the purchase of foodstuffs,
from 80 to 40 per cent, SO that the
purchasing power of miners earn
ings is less now than before the
strike of 1900.
'The presidents of the various coal
railroads have given public
ity to statement that during the
year 1901, the productive capacity Of
mine workers deteriorated an aver
age of 1914 per cent: in other words,
the United Mineworkers' organiza- |