New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-06-11
THE ISSUES IN THE STRIKE.
CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN COAL Of-
ORATORS AND PRESIDENT
MITCHELL.


The presidents of the coal roads Immediately
affected by the strike Of the anthracite coal
miners made public yesterday letters and tele-
grams which had passed between the operators
and President Mitchell and other representa-
tives of the United Mine Workers
The operators make public the correspondence
with a preface which gives in brief the history
of the unionizing of the anthracite coal mines
after the esta bshment of the United Mine
Workers. originally an organization of bitumin-
Gus coal miners; of the agreement to an ad-
vance Of 10 per cent in wages in 1901, following
the strike of 1900; the adjustment Of the Slid
ing SCALE and finally the invitation Of February
IA 1902 to the operators TO joint conference
TO form wage scale for the ensuing year.
The first of the letters. dated February is,
1902 is that CT President Baer of the Reading
company to President Mitchell Mr.. Baer said
IN part
In the judgment of the companies 1 repre-
sent, it is practically impossible to form a wage
scale for the whole anthracite region. Inc
mining of anthracite coal is entirely different
from that of bituminous coal This company
does not favor the plan of having its relations
with the miners disturbed every year There
cannot be two masters in the management OF
business The objection 20 your proposition is not
alone the impracticability of forming a uniform
scale of wages but it is 10 the divided allegiance
il creates Discipline is essential in the conduct
of all business. 1t is of vital Importance IN
man may endanger the lives of hundreds OF ms
fellow wor1men. You cannot have discipline
when the employe disregards and disobeys the
reasonable orders and directions IN the conaucl
Of business of his superior officer, relying upon
some outside power to sustain HIM
Your organizations have no power to enforce
their DEGREES and thereby insure discipline, and
we have no power maintain discipline except
The power TO discharge. A careful analysis OF
the results of last years operations shows that
the efficiency of our own mines has decreased
million tons. because the contract miners
I.v7Iz- fO~ hale to SiN hnI
day.
President Truesdale of the Lackawanna road.
writing from New-York under date of February
g. 1902. TO the miners officials says, in part:
The policy and practice of this company is, and
always has been to deal directly with all classes
of its employees through committees or other
representatives of them duly accredited as such
and also i'll the employ OF the company, on all
questions concerning wages, hours OF service
and other conditions pertaining TO their employ
ment.
The situation and conditions vary widely as
respects the mining of anthracite coal IN the
different fields. 1t must be manifest, Therefore
TO any one familiar with these conditions and the
practice that has grown up under them, that
it is entirely impracticable to adjust these wage
questions in the anthracite regions in any gen
eral convention mass meeting composed OF all
the mine owners in the anthracite fields and
this company must therefore decline 10 depart
from its settled policy in dealing with It's en-
ployes, and put itself in position with respect
to its mine employees wthere 1t may at any time
involve itself in troubled and MISUNDERSTANDING.
President E 3. Thorn Is of the Erie road, writ
ing from New-York uuher date of February 20.
1862. says in part:
So far the apparent effect of your association
has been that at no time during the last twenty
years has greater spirit OF unrest ana ssIId-
ton prevailed among the anthracite miners
than has existed during the last year Notw1tn-
standing the advance in wages, the falr treat,
nent that has been accorded. the patient ana
friendly disposition manifested toward the Varl-
Gus committees. the depreciation in the quantity
IF work produced per man has amounted 10
about II per cent. and from April to October
there have been no less than l02 interruptions
of work occasioned by unwarranted demands
and agitation by members Of your association
resulting in loss of over nine hundred DAYS
work and over six hundred thousand tons OF
production; most of them were brought ABOUT
by unwarranted causes. and there has been an
apparent disposition on the part of the younger
element to keep the whole territory in a condI-
ton of unrest a condition that is certainly not
for the best interests of either the corporations
or the ernploves II is the inalienable right Of
a man 10 labor and this without regard TO ma
tionality. creed or association. To seek to pre-
vent it is crime. and we cannot even by I'M
pcstion, sanction such a course
Ycu now ask this company to join the repre-
sentatives Of other anthracite coal interests and
q representative Of the mine workers. 70 forrnu-
late a scale of wages and conditions of employ
! ment which shall govern the coming year
In judgment this is impracticable and the
less than those of the miners themselves rem
Ger irpracticable any such efforts.
The replies of President T P Fowler of the
Ontario and Western and r. NJ. ELEPHANT. of the
Delaware and Hudson, and Alfred Walter, of
the Lehigh Valley. are brief. Mr. Fowler says
the only practical way to settle differences be-
tween employees and company is by discussion
by the men themselves with the Immediate SUI
perintendent. Mr. Walter says simply that the
proposition that representatives of his company
attend meeting with the miners TO discuss
wage scale is the company cannot enter
tain Mr. OIyphant says Mr. Mitchelrs
rnunication carries an intimation that the wage
scale is to be reviewed yearly. This he calls
condition lat once unbusinesslike and opposed
TO the proper conduct of the anthracite mining
industry
President Mitchell representing the miners,
writing 10 the committee Of operators appointed
to consider points at issue last month. says in
part:
We propose that the industrial branch of the
National Civic Federation select committee of
Of the questions in dispute, the award OF such
board OF arbitration to be binding upon both
parties and effective for a period of year.
Second. should the above proposition be unac-
ceptabe 10 you. propose that committee
composed of Archbishop ireland. Bishop Pot
ter and one other person whom these two may
select. be authorized to make an investigation
into the wages and conditions of employment
existing in the anthracite field; and if they de-
eide that the annual wages received by
the anthracite mine workers sufficient
TO enable them to live, maintain and edu-
cate their families in a manner conformable TO
esta blshed American standards and consistent
with American citizenship, agree to with
draw our claims for higher wages and more
equitable conditions OF employment, providing
that the anthracite mine operators agree to
comply with any recommendations the above