Evening journal., 1902-09-04
BAER DRCLINRN
TO ARBITRATB
5 Statement After Conference
With Quay and PenrOSe
Tells NbV Arbitration Is RciaSed and
Reviews The Causes Leading 10
the Coal Strike

Quay and Penrose and President George
+. Baer. of the Reading Railroad Com
pany. at which the anthracite coal
mine strike was discussed. Mr.. Baer
gave out the following statement in
reference to the strike situation:
II recognize that It is your right and
your duty as senators. representing the
great state Of Pennsylvania. to do
whatver can legitimatoly be done to end
n strike that so seriously affects busi-
ness and brings so much suffering to
the women and children of the coal re-
gions The newspapers story that !
said the strike was a private affair
which did not concern the public il,
like much of the stuff they make me
say, a reckless fabrication. The issues
involved are matters of great public
concern. Now, what / have said is
that the management of business he
longs to the owners. The right Of the
stockholders is to have good manage
ment and a fair return on his invest
ment The obligation to the state Is
to conduct the business in strict con-
formity to the laws Il has established.
The duty to the public is, so far as
practicable TO conduct the business so
as TO add to the common welfare. How,
then, under these circumstances, can
there be any violation Of public dutyY
I'VE have concluded, therefore, that
our duty 70 ourselves and TO the PUB
lie win best be served by standing
firmly on these propositions:
"First-That the wages paid in the
anthracite region are, compared with
the wages paid in like employment,
fair and Just. and that men willing to
work honestly can earn more money
on the present basis Of wages than in
any other industry engaged in produc-
ing common articles of necessity in the
United States.
"Second-That wages cannot be in
creased 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,
cheaper and more abundant fuel, and
that a restricted market will curtail
production and result in depriving the
miners OF regular employment.
"Third That we are not fighting la
Bet ofEanlsHtl0ns. We fully recognize
the right of men to organize to protect
themselves from oppression and to ben
eft themselves in any legitimate way.
But We do oppose their unreasonable
interference with the discipline and or
binary management of our business.
We viii not permit them to select our
employees.
"Fourth-That Il IS by reason of
varying conditions a. each mine inn
practicable TO adopt uniform scale
of wages for the whole region. But that
at each colliery every complaint and
grievance VIII be taken up and investi-
gated by the superintendent and ad-
iusted whenever it IS just. personally
offered TO Mitchell and his district
presidents to go with them and inves-
tiglAe any grievance.
you see, senators. none of these
things can be the subject Of arbitra-
ton You cannot arhitrate a question
OF wages when an increase viii de-
stroy the business and a decrease viii
be unacceptable to the workmon. A
free man cannot be compelled 70 work.
and an owner by the same rule cannot
be made to do business at loss. You
cannot arbitrate the right to select
your own workmen.
''You cannot arbirate the right to
protect your property and your work
men from the mob rule of labor organ
izations who boldly proclaim purpose
to destroy property and endeavor to
make their proclamation effective b.
killing and injuring their fellow-work-
men who refuse to join in their law
lessness. Can such questions be arbi-
trated?
In fact We had a series Of confer
ences before the strike began. which
were practically efforts to arbitrate
You will recall that the Shamokin
convention, which declared that none
but union men should be permitted to
work ia the mines, invoked the aid
of the Civic Federation At the re-
quest OF the Civic Federation, the rep
resentatives of the coal operators met
a committee Of the Civic Federation.
Mr.. Mitchell, who is the head of the
bituminous miners, and his three dis
trict presidents.
I'VE told them that the conditions in
the coal regions during the past year,
since the union had been organized
there. we're intolerable; that notwith-
81 ndlng the adjustment Of 1900, in
vhich a general advance of 10 per cent.
(which actually became Is per cent. at
the Reading collieries). from the 1st
Of April, 1901, to the 1st of April, 1902
there had been 102 strikes in mines
operated by the coal companies alone
and we did not know how many among
the private operators. We showed
them that for some mysterious reason
the miners worked only from four to
six hours per day, and that when they
had produced at the mines sufficient
coal to earn about $3.50 per day, they
would quit work; that the product ol
the collieries had been reduced about
1919 per cent, and that in the case ol
the Reading Company 1t amounted to