The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-09-04
OTHER SIDE HEARD
President Bear Makes a Sar-
castle Statement
CONCERNING THE STRIKE
In a Reply Sent to Pennsyl-
vania Senators.
CONCERNING THE STRIKE

Philadelphia, Sept. 3.-The two United
States senators from Pennsylvania to-
Gay had conference with the operators
of the anthracite mines, and upon leav-
ing the conference stated that, while
they had done everything in their power
to bring about an adjustment of differ
ences they deemed it useless 10 go any
farther. Later President Bear issued
reply to the senator's in which he said:
4 recognize that it is your right and
your duty as senators to do whatever
can legitimately be done 10 end strike
that so seriously affects business and
brings so much suffering to the women
and children of the coal regions. The
newspapers story that 1 said that the
strike was a private affair which did
not concern the public is a reckless fab
rication.
Now. what I have said is that the
management of business belongs to tho
owners. In the case of coal companies
the law casts the management and con
troll on the directors and officers whose
responsibility is TO their stockholders. TO
the state and to the public. The right
of the stakeholder is to have good man
agement and a fair return on his invest
ment The obligation to the state is TO
conduct the business in strict conformity
to the laws it has established. The duty
to the public is, so far as practical bic.
to conduct the business so as TO add to
the common welfare.
I'VE have concluded that our duty to
ourselves and to the public will best be
served by standing firmly on these prop
ositions:
Il. That the wages paid in the anthra-
cite coal regions are, compared with
the wages paid in like employment, fair
and just and that men willing to work
honestly can earn more money on the
present basis Of wages than in any other
industry engaged in producing common
articles of necessity in the United States.
'2. That wages cannot be increased
without increasing the price of coal and
to increase the price of coal will re-
strict the market and drive the pubic
TO use bituminous coal, a cheaper and
more abundant fuel, and that restrict
ed market will curtail production and
result in depriving the miners of regu-
lar employment.
IS. That we are not fighting labor or
ganizations. We fully recognize the right
Of men to organic to protect themselves
from oppression and TO benefit them
selves in any legitimate way. But we do
oppose their unreasonable interference
with the discipline and ordinary man
agement of our business. We will not
permit them to select our employees.
Neither politics, religion, nationality.
membership in labor organizations
shall debar any competent man from
working for us. We are fighting the bat
tie OF freedom for the individual and his
right to labor on his own terms.
Il That it is by reason OF varying con-
ditions at each mine impracticable TO
adopt a uniform scale of wages for the
whole region. But that at each colliery
every complaint and grievance will be
taken and investigated by the superin-
tendents and adjusted whenever it is
just personally offered to Mitchell
and his district presidents 10 go with
them and investigate any grievance.
You see, senators. none of these things
can be the subject of arbitration.
You cannot arbitrate a question Of
wages when an increase will destroy the
business and a decrease viii be unac-
ceptable to the workmen.
We cannot arbitrate question as TO !
whether mining operation and business /
generally shall be managed under the !
common sense rule of law and equity by |