The evening Republican., 1902-06-23
UB16KN. DEL MONDAY. JUNE IS 1909

average price Tor the m0rK0teQ dnInf4
cite coal-that is. the product shipped
to market or sold to local trade-wai
$1.87, the highest figure obtained since
1888" In other words, while, accord
ing to President Olyphant. 10 cents pei
ton represents the operators increased
cost Of production in 1901, 80 cents pei
ton MS compared with 1900 represents
the increased value of the product ia
the operators. In view Of the fact that
this enormous increase In the selling
price of coal has been extOrted from
the consumer by the coal trust can
any one say that the demands of the
miners for small portion of the In.
creased wealth their labor has pro-
duced are unreasonable or unwarrant-
ed?
Further evidence Of the ability of the
coal mine operators to pay increased
wages is found in the sworn testimony
of MIR. John Markle, mana ging partner
of the G. B. Markle Coal company.
This firm operates three mines In the
Lehigh region and 10 known as an in
dependent operator. In the supreme
court Of Pennsylvania in re Markle
versus Wilbur pennsylvania State Re-
ports, p. 200, John Markle was sworn
and during his testimony swore that
he was appointed superintendent or
manager by the articles Of copartner-
ship at salary of $15, 600 per year and
that under his management from 1890
to 1894, inclusive, the partnership made
large profits of over $1,OOOO0O."
During the five years referred to by
Mr.. Markle the government reports
show that the home value of coal pro-
duced by the anthracite coal conpa-
MES was $1.51 per ton. If the G. b.
Markle company could make a profit
of over $1,0O000O in five years when
the selling price Of their coal at the
mines was $1.51, does it not seem rea-
s0nable to suppose that the larger COM
panies, whose cost Of production is
necessarily less. could make suffi-
cient profit in 1901, when the home
value of their coal was $1S7 per ton,
to enable them without detriment to
their business to pay the anthracite
mine workers the small pittance asked
for by them?
In his annual report to the directors
Of his company President Truesdale Of
the Delaware, Lackawanna and West
ern says in substance: THE year 1901
will pass into history as one of the
most satisfactory il not the banner
year for the authrac cite coal interests
of this country The tonnage mined,
purchased and handled was much
greater than any previous year in the
history of the company. The rate per
ton per mile earned on coal hauled was
S.9l mills. The present outlook is fa-
vorablc for an indefinite continuance
of these favorable conditions"
The Commercial and Financial
Chronicle in commenting upon the re-
port of President Olyphant of the Dela-
ware and Hudson says that 'the aver
age of anthracite selling prices for 1901
must have been from 30 to 40 cents
higher than in 1900, and the profits Of
the coal mining operations of the Della.
ware and Hudson in l9OfsWas 81. .4O7,-
3O7."
In connection with this subject at
tention is respectfully directed to the
fact that a ton Of coal us the consumer
it is not ton Of coal as
the miner is paid for it-that is to say,
when the consumer purchases a ton of
coal he receives 2,240 pounds, a legal
ton. When the railroad companies
transport coal to market, they receive
tariff upon 2,2lu pounds. Il legal ton,
but when the miner is being paid for
his labor he is required to produce and
load from 2740 to 3,10O pounds for a
ton, and it is against this fragrant in
Justice that the anthracite mine work.
Prs so vigorously and justly protest.
The operators say, of course, that the
excess weight is required to compen-
safe for impurities and refuse matter
that is loaded with the coal and can
not be marketed. But if their state
mcnt be true why is it necessary to
continue a system of docking by which {
1t times they arbitrarily deduct from
miners earnings from 10 to IS per
cent of the total as a penalty for load.
ng impurities for which they have al ,
'eady penalized him in excess wcighty !
1t must be Obvious to every intelligent |
observer that the coal companies de- |
i've considerable income from the !
continuance of this system of meaSur-
ng the earnings of their employees, as
hey thus receive Il large amount of
coal for which they return !
40 compensation to the miner. The !
miners have asked that the coal they i
produce shall he honestly weighed and
recorded.
This recital Of facts disposes of the
operators claim that they cannot af-
ord to pay living wages for faithful
service and unceasing toll amid Sur
constantly fraught with the
sravest danger.
The reports of the mine inspectors
bureau OF the state of PENNSYLVANIA
show that during the past decade the
'verage yearly fatalities in the anthra-
lite coal mines were 431 and that for
he year 1901 there were 4S4 fatal and
.2h6 nOnfatal accidents. This means
hat for every 10000 tons of coal
to the surface one person is
lilled and more than two seriously in
ured; il means that for each day the
mines are in operation more than two
persons lives are sacrificed and mors
han Eve persons are injured. Indeed
I is matter of record that eight times
&c many nan np1 bn,., ,,n Iii ...l |