The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-04
Head of the Anthracite Trust Tells
Why Operators Are Unwilling to
Yield to the Strikers.
CARROLL D. WRIGHTS REPORT
RESULT OF THE LABOR COMMITS
SIONER'S INVESTIGATION.
He Found n Lack of Confidence BE-
tween Operators and Miners
Recommendations.

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 3.-Presdent
George F. Baer, of the Reading Company
and United States Senators Quay and Pen
rose held long conference to-day in the
executive offices of the Reading Company in
this city at which the anthracite coal min
ers' strike was thoroughly discussed. AT
the conclusion Of the conference President
Baer issued a lengthy reply to the two
senators. Among others things he said:
81 recognize that it is your right and your
duty senators. representing the great
State of Pennsylvania, to do whatever can
legitimately be done to end strike that so
seriously affects business and brings so
much suffering to the women and children
of the coal regions. The newspaper story
that 1 said the strike was a private af-
fair which did not concern the public is a
reckless fabrication.
Now what have said is that the man.
agement of business belongs to the owners.
In the case of coal companies the law casts
the management and control on the direc-
| tors and officers whose responsibility Is to
their stockholders, to the State and to the
public. The right of the stakeholder is to
have good management and a fair return on
his investment The obligation to the State
is to conduct the business in strict con-
| formity to the laws 1t has established. The
duty to the public is, SO far practicable,
to conduct the business so as to add to the
| common welfare.
1.-THE coal operators say that they can
not mine coal because the miners make de-
mands which render 1t impossible to mine
coal proftably and that the State has en-
acted laws prohibiting the employment of
men in the mines unless they have worked
| two years In anthracite mines and, there
fore, they cannot for the time being mine
| coal. How then, under these circumstances,
| can there be any violation of public duty?
| If we yield to the extravagant demands of
the miners we will lose money. If We at
| tempt to increase the price of coal we will
! destroy the industries depending upon an
! thracite fuel. If we increase the price on
the domestic sizes we will be called rob-
Der barons, oppressors of the poor. monop-
lists and enemies of mankind. We have
concluded, therefore, that our duty to our
selves and to the public will best be
served by standing firmly on these propo-
sitions:
| FOUR PROPOSITIONS.
'First-That the wages paid in the an
! thracite coal regions 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 pres
ent basis Of wages than in any other in
dustry engaged in producing common ar
ticles of necessity in the United States.
"Second-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 a restricted market
| will curtail production and result in de-
| priving the miners of regular employment
"Third-That we are not fighting labor
organizations. 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 Sc
lect our employees. Neither politics, re-
| ligion, nationality nor membership in la
Dor organizations shall debar any compe-
| tent man from working for US. We are
! fighting the battle of freedom for the in
divdual and his right to labor on his own
| terms.
'.Fourth-That it is, by reason of vary
| ing conditions at each mine, impracticable
to adopt a uniform scale Of wages for the
whole region But that at each colliery
every complaint and grievance will be
| taken up and investigated by the super
| intendents and adjusted whenever it is
just. 1 personally offered to Mr.. Mitchell
and his district presidents to go with them
and investigate any grievance.
| You see, senator's, none of these things
can be the subject of arbitration. You
an increase will destroy the business and
decrease will be unacceptable to the
| workmen.
| I'VE cannot arbitrate a question as tic
| generally shall be managed under the COM
| nonsense rule of law and equity, by the
| owners and the servants they have select
| ed, or by 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 prop
| erty and endeavor to make their proclama-
ton effective by killing and injuring their
fellow-workmen who refuse to join in their
| lawlessness. When John Mitchell ordered
| the engineers, firemen and pumpmen to
| desert their posts he knew that unless the
operators could supply their places the
| destruction 10000 men with their wives
| and children dependent upon their labor
| would be deprived of work for long time
THE operators were compelled to employ
police al 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 denounced, and when
private citizens like Beddall are murdered
! the state authorities are denounced for
| sending troops to preserve the peace To-
! day that gallant soldier. General Goblin
| who fought with such distinction in our
! civil war and than whom no juster man
! lives, Is bitterly maligned for protecting
| the property and lives of Pennsylvania
| citizens.
Can such question be arbitrator"
President Baer devotes considerable space
TO the efforts at arbitration made by the
Civic Federation. He says that every
! phase of the situation was fully and fairly
| discussed and that the coal companies Of
| fered to produce all books that would
throw any light upon the subject; showed
| companies: pointed out that the three an
thracite coal-carrying companies the Read
| ing, Lehigh Valley and Erie, had not paid
! dividends on their stock for years: pro-
duced the records showing coal sales and
| showed how 40 per cent. OF the anthracite
coal is sold in the market below the cost
| of mining.
Mr.. Baer then says: For reasons salts
| factory TO the managers of the Civic Fed
GRAFTON another meeting was never called
! TO hear the report of the subcommittee
| appointed. and after we adjourned the
United Mine Workers started the ma
chinery of their organization in motion
and the strike followed
The reply concludes as follows: You
see. senators. we have discussed this whole
| subject fully, and / have endeavored to
| show you that sound business manage
ment makes IL impossible TO increase wages.