Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1902-09-29
BAER'S CLAIMS FALSE
MITcHELL's STATEMENT oE.
SIGNED 10 PROVE.
Clearly States the Demands of the
Striking Anthracite
Miners.

Pittsburg, Sept 29.-John Mitch.
ell, of the United Mine Workers, yes.
terday gave out statement. He re-
plies to President Baer's statement,
issued Sept. 3, and touches on the
coal strike situation. The statement
says in part:
"Mr. Baer states that the wages
paid in the anthracite coal regions
are. compared with the wages paid
in like employment. fair and just.
By like employment Mr.. Baer must
refer to bituminous coal mining Tbs
fact Is that the minimum wage re.
ceived by any class of adult mine
workers in the soft coal mines is 26A
cents per hour. while the minimum
wage paid to boys is 1914 cents per
hour; in the anthracite coal mines
men who are performing precisely the
same labor receive from 10 to 20
cents per hour, while boys are paid
as low as cents per hour. and rarely
receive to exceed 8 cents per hour
The bituminous miner works a maxi
mum of eight hours per day which Is
two hours less than men in the an
thracite field are required to work:
moreover, the anthracite mine worker
labors under the further disadvantage
of being more liable to be killed or
injured. the casualties being SO per
cent greater in the anthracite than in
the bituminous.
Further along he refers to the claim
Of Baer that for some mysterious
reason" the miners restricted the out
put of the mines. On this point hs
says in part:
Production of Galleries Increased.
Mr.. Baer claims that in this man,
ner the product of the eollieries has
been reduced about 1914 per cent,
and that in the case of the Reading
company 1t amounted to more than
100000 TONS This is vitality Ina.
portant, if true; but it is not true
The fact is that instead of loss of
100000 tons. there was an increase
in the year 1901, from the mines op-
Grated by the Reading company, of
S3S.243 tons, and a total increase from
all the anthracite mines of 5000, 900
tons. (See report of Pennsylvania
state bureau of mines)
I'm attempting to account for the
increased tonnage the operators point
to the installation of labor saving ma.
chinery, which reduces the proportion
Of men and boys employed by the day.
If we disregard all mine workers
whose labor might be saved by such
appliances and take simply the output
per certified and employed miner, we
find that the production per miner
was 1921 tons in 1897, 1926 tons in
1898 1883 tons in 1899, 1891 tons in
1900 while in the year 1901 it was
1855 tons. refer Mr.. Baer to the
annual reports of the Pennsylvania
state bureau of mines, and ask If
these figures do not refate the state
ment that organization in the coal
mines Is inimical to good workman
lhip.
Since the very inception of this
strike the aims, objects and ideals
of the United Mine Workers of Amer
lea have been wilfully distorted by
small army of critics. We have been
unjustly maligned and our motives
and purposes maliciously impugned.
We therefore take this opportunity
to repeat specifically that we do not
seek to interfere with the manage
ment of the coal properties or with
the proper discipline of the working
force; but we do demand
What Demands of Miners Are.
Tristan increase in wages for
men employed on piece work.
"Second-A reduction in the hours
of labor for men employed by the day
"Third-Payment for legal ton o.
coal
"Fourth-That the coal we mine
shall be honestly weighed and cor
rectly recorded.
"Fifth-We favor Incorporating in