BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-06-25
SAN JUAN, JUNE Is
The Strike Issue Defined.

The public have long been awaiting
some official statement OF the issues
involved in the anthracite coal strike
and thew now have one side of it in the
reply of the coal presidents to the COM
missioner of labors inquiries, which
was made public last week. Mr.. Car
roll D. Wright, the commissioner, has
also investigated the miners side OF
the controversy and this, too, will
shortly be given to the public, after the
report has been filed with the President
at Washington. But it hardly seems
possible that the union leaders will be
able to efface the impression of right and
Justice which the statements OF the opera
tors have certainly made. There can
be no further room for doubt that the
coal operators are fighting the battle
that the steel mill owners fought last
summer, 10 determine whether they
shall have the right to control their
own business or whether they must
turn over this control for all time to
an arrogant labor union. With this
vital point at stake it is idle to think
of arbitration or compromise, and who
ever works to accomplish this mode OF
settlement simply encourages the min
ers resistance and prolongs the strug-
gle.
The presidents of the coal mining
and carrying companies in their publish
ed statements briefly rehearse the
events of the industry beginning with
the 10 per cent advance in wages
granted in 1900 and reaching climax
in the refusal of the operators to attend
the Joint conference with the Mine
Workers in February of this year,
which was called to discuss wages for
the ensuing twelve months. In their
letters rendering this refusal, the oper-
ators reveal their whole position
in the present strike. The hub OF
the matter is expressed by President
Baer when he says that his COM
pany does not propose to confer about
it's business policy each season with
persons who are not interested in
anthracite mining and cannot have the
technical knowledge of the varying
conditions at each colliery." Mr. Thomas
of the Erie adds to this the charge that
the union has caused heavy losses in
production by interfering with the men
at work, that it keeps the laborers in a
constant state of unrest, and by ref1ls-
ing to allow any one to work who does
not belong to the union, that it seeks to
prevent the inalienable right of a man
to labor without regard to nationality,
creed or association The operators
do not propose to conduct their business
to suit the wishes of an organization
whose influence is thus shown to have
been lerted to the detrin1ent of the
industry. They prefer to deal with their
men directly and as individuals
After ali, then, it is the question Of
recognizing the union which is, the
coal presidents go on - point cut how
uniform wage scale. which is one of
the principal demands Of the strikers is
impracticable in the an hraci.e Industry
because the conditions of mining, are
different at every colliery. They also
assert, in reply to Mr.. Mitchell's propo-
sition that the price of coal be raised to
provide an increase in wages, that this
would be impossible in view of the
sharp competition Of bituminous coal.
Mr. Baer in stating this fact in his let
ter to Mr.. Mitchell OF May 9 offers to
allow the union representatives to exa-
mine the books, to satisfy themselves
that the company's claim regarding
profits and competition is true. But it
requires no careful reading between The
lines to see that these points of dispute,
although they have been giyen the
greatest prominence in all discussion OF
the subject heretofore, are only the sub
sidiary issues in the struggle. The
Mine Workers Union occu oy precisely
the same position that the steel unions
did last summer. They are measuring
their power against that of the corpora
tions in a great contest which will de-
termine whether they or the employers
shall henceforth hold the upper hand
in the coal industry.
The public can no longer complain
that it is in doubt about the causes and
motives of the strike The straightfor
ward statement of the operator has
made everything clear 1t is possible
for Mitchell and his associates to be. og
the issue, but they cannot any longer
entirely conceal it. What will be the
attitude of public sentiment now thai
the truth is known? An enormous
waste is being witnessed of energies
that should be produc i've. The COM
panies and their shareholders are facing
the prospect Of heavy losses. The |
whole industrial community and count |
less individual consumers are suffering +
from the excessive prices of coal
Lastly. thousands Of men with their
families in The ant raeite regions have