Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-11-13
MORE COAL MINE REPLIES
TO MITCHELL'S STATEMENT
Resistance to Utmost of Recognition
of Mine Workers and OF De-
mands for Wage Increase.

WASHINGTON, November 12-That the
anthra cite coal mine owners will resist to
the utmost every effort to make the rec
ognition of the United Mihe-Workers or
America an issue In the arbitration which
is now in progress. is made eVldenl oy
the replies to the statement OF President
John Mitchell. Of the miners organ1za-
ticn which have been filed with the strike
commission. There are five of these ans
wers. in addition to that of President
Baer, which was given out yesterday. and
all dwe. with special emphasis and mark
ed unanimity on this point. They also
agree in resisting the demands or the
miners for an increase of pay for piece.
work. for reduction Of hours for time
work, and for the weighing rather than
the mea surement of coal.
Recorder Wright left for the anthracite
regions to-day. taking these replies with
him. In addition to the statement made
for the Reading Company by President
Baer. the list comprises the replies of the
Delaware and Hudson Company. the
Delaware and Lackawanna. the Lehigh
Valley. the Pennsylvania, and the Scran-
/ n Coal Company. The reply for the
Delaware and Lackawanna Company.
signed by w. II. Truesdale. says:
This company asserts that 1t will I'M
der no condition recognize 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 ON
GERS. to dictate the terms and conditions
under which it shall conduct its bust
ness"
UNIFORM RATE IMPOSSIBLE.
Mr. Truesdale declares that it is impos-
sible to adopt a uniform rate to be paid
to the miner for a unit OF coal mined at
all mines. On the point of general pros
perty, he says that prior to the intro
duction of agitators and mischief-mak-
ers, the anthracite workers were on an
average as prosperous. comfortable. and
contented as any body of workers in SINH
lar employment in this country The
wa ges. it is added are such that frugal
employees have saved a substantial
amount every year.
Mr.. Truesdale res.sts the demand for a
reduction Of 20 per cent. in the hours of
labor, saying that no branch of business
employing thousands of men can hope to
compete successfully in the markets of
the world, if it's hours of labor are re-
St1icted.
WAGES ARE JUST.
President Oliphant, of the Delaware and
Hudson Company in his reply, declares
just and adequate. He also says that
those of it's employees who perform con-
tract or piece work as a matter of their
own volition, work only about six hours
a day and take numerous holidays, with
out the consent or approval OF this respon-
dent, and their earnings. by hours Of
actual work are, therefore. much higher
than those in any similar employment"
President Oliphant also takes exception
to the proposition to arbitrate the ques-
ton Of recognition of the miners union.
This position is placed on the ground that
the organization seeks to control the en-
tire fuel supply of the country: that
as the union is unincorporated it is in
capable of making a binding contract.
FIX THEIR OWN EARNINGS.
President T. P. Fowler speaks for the
Scranton Coal Company. and the Elkhill
Coal and Iron Company He asserts that
If the average wage earned by the an
thracitc piece-workers is less than that
paid to workers in other employments'
it is because they fix their own hours Of
labor and the amount of their earnings. -
On the question of miners. unions, Mr.
Fowler says:
Denial Is made Of all the allegations in
connection with the demand for shorter
We deny that agreements between. en-
ployers and employees through working
mems organizations are Beneficial ant
successful in the bituminnus c,,al fields
or elsewhere. and assert that any such
agreement as a method of regu!at ting pro
Ilctlon would be and Is Injurious to the
best interests of the public
The statements made for the Lehisb
Valley and the Pennsylvania Companies
cover the same ground as the other state
ments.