Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-11-12
WontRecognize
Mine Workers
Coal Owners VIM Oppose All Efforts 10 Make Their RecOg
d Lackawanna Enter into Agreement WIN Them

many employees have saved small sum
every year,
Nh Truesdale reslsts the demand for
q reduction Of 20 per cent In hours OF
labor saying that no such branch OF
business employing thousands of men
car hope 10 compete successfully IN the
markets of the world II It's hours OF
labor are restricted. He declares thar
there is no unjust discrimination in the
Weighing OF coal az II is measured
rather than weighed, and he asserts
hat The demand il "out OF all reason
and It's effect, so far as this company
is concerned IL a demand for an addl-
tional increase In the wages now paid
miners Of from to 40 per cent"
The present method OF measurement
Is declared to be the result of long us
age and fair TO all concerned.
ELEPHANTS DECLARATION.
Presiden, Oliphant, of the Delaware
q Hudson company In his reply de-
clares that the wages paid by his COM
pany are just and adequate He also
says that those OF It's employees who
perform contract or piece work as a
matter OF their own vOlton work, only
about six hours a day and take numer-
Gus holidays without the consent or
approval Of this respondent, and their
earnings, by hours of actual work are
therefore, much higher than those in
any similar employment"
Denial is made Of all the allegations
In connection with the demand for
shorter hours and II IL contended that
such reduction necessarily would IN
crease the price Of coal While admit
ting that the mine owners sell their
coal by the ton, he says that the coal
thus sold Is a very different article from
that taken out of the mine. Hence ne
contends against the change from the
present system Of payment TO that %
paying by the ton.
President Oliphant also takes excep-
ton to the proposition to arbitrate the
Question Of the Reorganization of the
Slniners' union. This position is placed
Il On the ground that the organization
,seeks TO control the entire fuel supply
| pf the country; that as the union Is
tnincorporated Il Is incapable Of MAX
Ing a binding contract and that the as
sociati0n has shown It's inability TO
fontrol its own members. lie says his
company has no desire 10 discriminate
against members Of the union.
FoWLER'S STAND.
President T. y. Fowler speaks for the
Scranton Coal company and the Elk
Hin Coal 4 Iron company. He asserts
tuat IL the average wage earned by the
1,sihraclte piece workers Is less than
rfnM paid e. Workers IN other employ
Leht II is because they fix their own
hours OF labor and The amount OF their
earnings without any regard TO the IN
terests or wishes Of their employers and
in total disregard OF the earnings and
welfare OF every other class OF en-
ployes'
lie declares that the men In the mines
do not work to exceed four or five hours
a day An other charges made by Mr..
Mitchell are combatte1 and on the qtes-
ton Of miners unions Mr.. Fowler says:
I'VE deny that agreements between
employers and employees through work.
ingmens organizations are beneficial
and successful In the btuminous coal
fields or else where and assert that any
such agreement as method Of rcgu-
lating production would be and is in
furious Ia the best interests Of the pub
lie"
The statements made for the LehiPh
Valley and the Pennsylvania companies
cover the same ground as the other
statements.