The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-11-17

which the employees of the company de- clined to participate, the company in acknowledgement of their loyalty con- tributed s25.oo0 to the beneficial fund.
 Since then" the statement continues.
 most of them have joined the union and felt bound to join in the strike when or dered last May. No complaint was ad- aressed, to this company; no grievance alleged; and no request for higher wages made; but, without notice the men left the work in a body, against their own will and Judgment. because required to do so by the vote of the miners employed in other coal fields.
 Would be Absurd.
 ''The claim for a reduction of 20 per cent in the hours of labor without any reduction in earnings, for all employees paid by the hour. day or week, would be peculiarly absurd if forced against this company. In point of fact the breakers of the company are able only to run g hours a day and not ten. The miners only work from five to seven hours a day and the real difficulty in the region Is that contract labor prices are too high. as the men get an amount sufficient for their wants by working less than three quarters of a day. The men employed by the day work as a maximum only nine hours and as many of them consume from half an hour to an hour In going to and from their work to the foot of the shaft, they do not work even nine hours. As Illustrating the influence of the ex- cessive rates paid for contract work, 1t may be said that during normal condi- tions in April of this year. the men work ing by contract earned only an average of $3.02 day. but when 1t became prob able that a strike would be ordered, the same men earned an average of s446 a day"
 The company asserts that payment by weight is impracticable at it's mine, as each mine constitutes distinct problem and the conditions vary from month to month. The only method which has ever given satisfaction at the workings, it Is said. Is payment for cutting coal by the lineai yard. The rate of payment can be determined only in each particular case between the superintendent and the miner.
 Production Reduced.
 Some influence, believed that of the the answer states, ''has led the men to reduce the production, but not this difficulty it remains true that the only way In which the wages can be satisfactorily measured. is by contract for the work done which necessarily varies from mine to mine and sometimes between breasts upon the same gangway and even upon the same breast, from day to day.
 The company emphatically protests against the miners demand that there shall be an agreement with the United Mine Workers of America in this connec- ton. The answer says:
 'fThe conditions of mining in the Le- high and Schuylkiil regions are quite diff ferent from those which exist in the and Chranton districts. While this company has no objection therefore to it's own employees organizing among themselves, 1t has always objected and does object even to an organization which Includes other anthracite fields, working under different systems of compensation. as a result of which It's men are ordered upon strikes by reason of controversies In which they have no interest.
 s1t would be still more inexcuseable that any outside authority should as- sume to interfere in the discharge of an employe. Every free man has the right to quit work when and as he chooses, and the employer must possess and be able to exercise the reciprocal right of dis charge if he Is to maintain disciplne,'