The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-08-28
THE COST OF FUEL
THIS NOW WORRYING THE POLITICIANS.
For a Time It Has Taken the Place
 of Trusts, Tariff, Anti-Im- perialism and Reciprocity as Topic.

Washington, Aug. N-(Special.) )-Trusts the tariff, anti-imperialism, extravaganza. reciprocity and other of the issues which have been urged to the attention of the voters of the nation are all being lost sight of just now in the more pressing question of where the fuel for next win ter is coming from and what is it going to cost. The strike in the anthracite coal region is becoming more serious just now than any other question before the peo- pie and the entire country is becoming concerned in its development The poli- ticians in Washington are giving the mat ter considerable thought on account of the political constructiin that may be placed upon 1t, but this interest is slight compared with that of the manufactur- ing interests, the home owners and the great body of consumers who see delayed business and an additional drain upon purses for the coming winter. unless the strike Is settled promptly.
 Strikes in the coal regions are not in- frequent. The country has one every year or so and the people have been &C., customed to the disturbances. Hereto fore the difficulties have always been set
 
 ply in the bins before the consumers are ready to buy. This has been the program so often that the people have refused to become alarmed over strike stories. But just now the matter is being brought very forcibly to the attention of all classes. New York is out of coal and is buying supplies from towns and cities that still have surplus. Prices have ad- vanced to the point where anthracite is a fIA ooh Of jority of the wage-earners and poorer classes who get cold even more quickly than the better clothed and better fed people. Even if the mines were to be started tomorrow it would be impossible to produce supply that would bring the prices within reason for the coming winter. The one unavoidable result of the strike Is that the pockets of the peo- pie are to be drawn upon to meet the expense of the disturbance The loss of wages to the miners and the loss of profit to the mine operators arc to be made good from the earnings of the people, through the increased prices in the wint er's sup ply of fuel It Is another case of where the people pay the freight.
 The situation Is more serious than 1t has teen for years and the question is more important than strikers and opera tcrs are apparently willing to admit It has become too big to be considered in the light of the effect it may have upon the fortunes of one political party or an- other. It is demanding the attention of the labor commissioners, of the students of economic conditions of the admins- tIation officials and of all men who are concerned in the prosperity of the nation and it's people. Whether anything will come of it remains to be seen. One thing certain is that the existing conditions can not obtain much longer without dis aster to the country.
 Some facts have been pretty clearly es- tablished by the inquiries that have been made into the conditions in the anthpa- cite regions. The labor conditions are peculiar The coal< miners are not the starved, miserably-paid creatures that reports have lead many to believe. Their wages average very well with those of skill laborers throughout the country, be- ing practically the same as those paid to carpenters. The trouble Is that they are not steadily employed. Statistics show that while the best anthracite miners earn about $5 a day, they are employed less than 200 days in the year. The aver age pay of all miners in the anthracite regions, including the pay of their la borers is about $3.6O a day, or $2.35 net Outside laborers receive an average of about $150 a day, which is in excess of
 
 dustries Engineers average $260 mule driy CTS. SlIO, and the screen tenders and shoyelers about $1.40. These are not starvation wages by any manner of means and if the men could be steadily employed, but under the existing condi- lions. the men are employed less than 200 days year, thus bringing their year ly earnings down to small total. It Is being urged that the mine operators
 1f ,,vN1a t-itNer far1 men and giving them steady employment throughout the year. This. is is thought. would result in compelling the surplus employees of the district to seek employ rnent elsewhere and thus relieve an over crowded labor market which Is consid- cred one of the causes of frequent dis turbances. The silk mills and the other industries that employ women and girls are located in the anthracite regions and serve as sources of supply for the men who are striking in the mines. The wives and daughters of the strikers are employ cd in the mills and furnish the means of keepIng their households in provisions while the coal strike lasts. This Is an- other complication in the situation.
 If has been consistently stated that the anthracite owners, the coal trust so- called. is willing to allow the strike to continue for the purpose of having an in- crease in price of the product when the strike is ended and for the further pur- nose of cleaning out the stocks now or hand in the country so they can secure absolute control of the supply, dctat' prices and absolutely direct the policy tC he followed by the whoesale and retail dealers in coal There Is one argument against the truth of this assertion. ano if is q rather effective one. Every day that the present strike continues the per uanent market for anthracite coal is be-