The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-09-04
Says Reading Company Is Not
Fighting Organized Labor
ANSWERS QUAY AND PENROSE
Senator Quay Says Nothing Can Be
Done at Present to Settle Miners
Strlke-Politics Cannot Inter
fere, Says Mr.. 5aer.

Philadelphia, september s-presldent F.
Baer Of the Reading company and United
States Senators Quay and Penrose had a
long conference today in the offices Of the
Reading company in this city, at which
the anthracite coal miners strike was
thoroughly discussed. After the confer
ence Senator Quay said:
I'VE went over the situation thorough
ly, and now are satisfied that nothing
can be accomplished at the present time"
President Raer issued a lengthy reply
to the two senator's. Among other things
he said:
1.-THE management Of business belongs
to the owners. In the case of coal COM
panies, the law casts the management
and control on The directors and officers,
whose responsibility is to their stockhold-
ers, to the state and to the public, The
right of the stockholders Is to have good
management and a fair return to his in.
vestment. The object Of the state is TO
conduct the business in strict conformity
to the laws 1t has established. The duty
to the public SO far as practicable is to
conduct the business to add to the COM
mon welfare.
'"rhe ccal operators say that they can
not mine coal because the miners make
demands which render 1t impossible to
mine coal prof1tably and tnat the state
has enacted laws prohibiting the en-
ployment of the men In the mines unless
they have worked two years in anthra-
cite mines, and therefore they cannot for
der these circum stances. can there be any
violation of public duty? II we Yield TO
the extravagant demands of the miners
we will lose money. Ii we attempt to IN
crease the price of coal we will destroy
the industries depending upon anthracits
fuel. If we increase the price on the do
nestle sizes we will be called robber
barons, oppressors Of the poor, ruonopo-
lists and enemies of mankind. We have
concluded, therefore, thar our duty to
ourselves and to the public will best be
served by standing nrmIy on these
propositions:
Wages Are Good.
81. That the wages paid In the anthra-
cite coal regions are, compared with the
wages paid in like employment, fair and
just and that the men willing to work
honestly can earn more money on the
present basis of wages than In any other
industry engaged In producing cotton arr
ticles of necessity In the United States.
70. That wages cannot be increased
without increasing the price of coal, and
to increase the price of coal will restrict
the market and drive the public to use
bituminous coal, a cheaper and more
abundant fuel and that the restricted
market will curtail production and result
in depriving the miners OF regular en-
ployment.
% That we are not fighting labor or
ganization. We fully recognize the right
of men to organize to protect themselves
from oppression and to benefit themselves
in any legitimate way. But we do oppose
their unreasonable interference with the
discipline and ordinary management of
our business. We will not permit them
to select our employees. Neither politics,
religion. nationality nor membership In
labor organizations shall debar any COM
petent man from working for us. We are
lighting the battle of freedom for the in
dividual and his right to labor on his own
terms.
Conditions Vary.
a. That 1t is by reason of varying con-
ditions at each mine impracticable to
adopt uniform scale OF wages for the
every complaint and grievance will be
taken up and investigated by the superin-
tendents and adjusted whenever it is
just. l personally offered to Mitchell and
his district presidents to go with them
and investigate any grievance
You cannot arbitrate questions of
wages when an increase will destroy the
business and a decrease will be unaccept-
able to the workmen.
I'VE cannot arbitrate a question as to
whether mining operation and business
generally shall be managed under the
common sense rule of law and equity, by
the owners and the servants they have
selected, or by q labor organization
, You cannot arbitrate the right to pro-
tect your property and your workmen
from the mob rule of labor organizations
who boldly proclaim purpose to destroy
property and endeavor to make their
proclamation effective by killing and in
1uring their fellow workmen who refuse
to join in their lawlessness. When John
Mitchell ordered the engineers. fremen
, and pumpmen to desert their posts he
knew that unless the operators could
supply their places the mines would be
destroyed and with their destruction 14O,-
900 men with their wives and children de-
pendent upon their labor would be de-
prived of work for long time.
Had to Employ Police.
"The operators were compelled to en-
ploy police at their own expense to
guard the new men employed to man the
pumps to save their mines. The guards
, and the law authorizing them are de-
nounced and when private citizens like
Beddal are murdered and state author
tiles are denounced for sending troops to
preserve the peace. Today that gallant
soldier, General Goblin who fought with
such distinction in our civil war and a
more just man does not live is busy pro-
, tecting the property and lives of Penn
sylvania citizens"
The reply concludes follows:
1--WE have discussed this whole SUBJ
ject fully and I have endeavored to
show you that sound business manage
ment makes 1t impossible to increase
wages. We know that the wages are
fair and relatively high and IL the lead
ers of bitiminuous mine workers had
not for selfish purposes invaded the
anthracite fields, our men would have
continued to work peaceably and con-
tentedly.
/ regret that no other solution can
be found. but you will see how impos-
sible 1t is to overlook the controlling
business conditions already pointed out"
M,1cio for ,ifc 0oaln6ioo