The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-11-12
PUTS FOOT DOWN.
President TruesdaIe of the Del
aware & Lackawanna
Files His Reply to Mitchell in
Strike Arbitration.
WILL DO NO BUSINESS
With the United Mine Workers
as an Organization.
Presidents of Other Roads Make
Similar Replies.
WILL Do NO BUSINESS

Washington, D. c.. Nov. 12.--The re-
ply of the Delaware & Ldclzawanna
company to President Mitcheil's state
ment to the anthracite coal strike com
mission. was made public today II is
signed by W. H. Truesdale, president OF
the company who says that the COM
pany owns % anthracite cotiierics and
employs 1000 workmen in this branch
of its business. Mr.. Truesdale like Mr..
Baer, objects to making the recognition
of the union one of the issues to be con-
sidered by the commission, saying that
in the proposition made by the company
for arbitration one of the exp1 c;s condi-
tons was that the findings of the COM
mission should not govern the condi-
/ t1ons of employment between it and it's
employees" He adds:
This company unequivocauy asserts
that Il VIII under no conditio Iecog
nize or enter into any agreement with
the association known as the United
Mine Workers of America or any
branch thereof. Nor will it permit said
association or its officers. to dictate the
terms and conditions under which it
shall conduct its business
Referring to the recent strike Mr..
Truesdale says that he is reliably in
formed that so per cent of It's employees
were opposed to the strike, but were
forced to enter upon it by a majority
vote of the mine workers in other fields.
Mr.. Truesdale follows closely tie lines
/ Ol MI. bdeF argument as TO the dis
similarity between the work in the an
thracite mines and that in bituminous
mines. He declares that it Is impossi-
/ BILE to adopt a uniform rate to be paid
to the miner. for a unit of coal mined
at all mines. The declaration is also
made that the anthracite miners, as a
rule, do not work many hours a day
as do the bituminous miners and the
opinion is advanced that if the wages
of the anthracite miners had been less
than that of other working men they
would have found employment else
where. which they did not do, until
the point of general prosperity. He .ays
that: Prior to the Introduction of agi-
tators and mischief makers, the anthra-
/ cite workers were on an average as
prosperous, comfortable and contented
as any body of workers of similar en-
ployment in this country"
The wages, it is added. are such that
4 frugal employees have saved a substan-
tial amount every year.
Mr.. Truesdale resists the demand for
a reduction of 20 per cent. in hours oS
labor, saying that no such branch of
business employing thousands of men
can hope to compete successfully in the
markets of the world if it's hours of la
Dor are restricted. He declares that
, there is no unjust discrimination in the
weighing of coal. as it is measured
. rather than weighed, and he asserts that
the demand is 'out of all reason and its
effect, so far as this company is con-
cerned, is a demand for an additional
F increase in the wages now paid miners
of from to 40 per cent" The present
; method of measurement is declared to
be the result of long usage and fair to
all concerned
, President Olyphant, of the Delaware
& Hudson company, in his reply de-
clares that the wages paid by his COM
pany are Just and adequate. He also
says that those of its employees who
perform contract or piece work as a
matter of their own volition, work only
about six hours a day and take numer-
Gus holidays. without the consent or ap-
proval of this respondent, and their
earnings. by hours of actual work, are
therefore much higher than those in any
similar employment
Denial is made of all the allegations
in connection with the demand for
$ shorter hours. and it is contended that
= such reduction necessarily would in
crease the price of coal. While admit
ting that the mine owners sell their coal
$ by the ton. he says the coal thus sold
$ is very different article from that ta-
ken out of the mine: hence he contends
against the change from the present
system of payment to that of paying by
the ton.
President Olyphant also takes excep-
ton to the proposition to arbitrate the
question of the recognition of the
1 miners union. This position is placed
on the grc@nd that the organization
seeks to control the entire fuel supply
. of the country; that as the union is un-
j incorporated, 1T is incapa BILE of making
I a DinQlnS contract ana tnat the aSSO-
d citation has shown its inability to con-
troll its own members. He says his COM
pany has no desire to discriminate
against members of the uion.
President T. P. Fowler speaks for the
Scranton Coal company and the Elk Hill
: Coal & Iron company. He asserts that
if the average wage earned by the an
= thracite piece workers is less than thai
4 paid to workers in other employment
! it IS because they fix their own hours
I of labor and the amount of their earn
: ings without any regard to the interests
. or wishes of their employers and in to-
a | tai disregard of the earnings and vel
fare of every other class of employees
He declares that the men in the mine.
do not wo~k to exceed four or five hour
day. All other charges made by Mr.
s Mitchell are combatted and on the cues
IT tion of miners unions. Mr.. Fowler says
= I'VE DENY that agreements between en-
: ployers and enrloyes through working
e mems ORGANIZATIONS are beneficial an,
g successful in the bitumnous coal fields o
le elsewhere, and assert that any sucl
agreement a method of regulating pro
duction would he and is injurious to tn
best interests of the public