The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-11-11
F F gsz MINERS SIDE s- sss-MONTGOMERY PEOPLE
 ===$:====. CURED BY SWAMP ROOT.
COAL MINERS SIDE ,
TEXT or STATEMENT FILED WITH STRIKE COMMISSION.
Demands Made Upon the Coal opsr- ators Reviewed-Contentions of the Men Based Upon Low
 Wages, Long Hours, Etc.

The statement of the anthracite mine
 eorkors' case in full is as follows:
 Fo the Anthracite Coal-Styike Commis-
 The mine workers make of the operators
 the following demands, which were form
 plated by the Shamokin convention, held
 March Ts,.s IS to to "A; and for the snforcsment
 First-An increase of 20 per cent. upon
 lhe prices paid during the yea 1901 to
 employes performing contract or piece
 ECrk. This demand Is made on account
 The folio wing reasons:
 Q) Tho present rate vf wages IS much
 lower than the rate of wages paid in ths
 bituminous coal fields fo- substantially
 lnilsr work.
 C2.) The present rate of wages is lower
 ihan is paid in other occupations rsquir-
 Ing equal skill and training.
 0) The average annual earnings in the
 anthracite coal fislis are much less than
 he averag. annual earnings in the bi-
 luminous coal fields for substantially stm-
 lar work.
 W) The average annual earnings in the
 pnthracite coal fields are much less than
 Re average annual earnings for occupa-
 tio}s requiring equal skill and training.
 H.l The rate of wagt.s in the anthracite
 eoal fields is Insufficient to compensate
 pus -oharaotsr of the occupation in reia-
 Non to accident, the Inability to serious
 and permanent disease, the high death
 rate, and the short grade-life incident to
 e. The annual earnings of the mine
 American standard of living.
 CD The increased cost of living has
 made 1t impossible to maintain fair
 standard of fife upon the basis of present
 wages, and has not only prevented the
 mine workers from securing any benefit
 from increased prosperity. but has made
 their condition poorer on account of 1t.
 6. The wages of the anthracite mine workers are so low that their children
 are prematurely forced into the breakers
 and mills, instead of being supported and
 educated upon the earnings of their pa
 Bents. Cs) Wages are below the fair and just
 earnings of mine workers in this indus try.
 Second--A reduction of 20 per cent. in
 hours of labor without any reduction of
 earnings for all employees paid by the hour, day, or week. The second demand
 signed to increase the hourly rate of
 wages of mine-workers employed by the
 hour. day, or week, and all the reasons
 applicable to the first demand are asked
 ton. In addition thereto we submit the following:
 (IO.) The ten-hour day is detrimental to the health, life, safety and well-beins C1) Shorter hours improve the physical, mental, and moral conditions of the workers.
 Q2) Shorter hours increase the intensi- ty and efficiency of labor.
 Q3) The tendency of national and State Government of organized trade and of production generally is towards shorter hours.
 Q4) A working day of eight hours is sufficiently long for the best interests of the workingmen. and of the community Thrd-The adoption of system by which coal shall be weighed and paid for by weight wherever practicable: the min lmum rate per ton to be 60 cents for a legal ton of 2.240 pounds; the differen- tials now existing at the various mines to be maintained. This demand Is made on account of the following reasons: Q.) Measurement by the legal ton wher- ever practicable is the only honest and just system of measuring the earnings of CD When the operators sell or trans. port coal, it is on the basis of legal ton of 2,240 pounds. (32 The excessive ton was originally in- tended to compensate the operator for the weight of the small sizes of coal, which were then discarded, but which are now utilized and sold and therefore there Is no present necessity for the use Of any other than the legal ton.
 I (4) The adoption of this system would remove an incentive both to the operator and the worker, the cheating and dls- honesty, and would allay jealousy among the miners and prevent unjust discrtmi- nation and favoritism. (5.( The change of the present system to the one asked for would prove Il strong factor in allaying suspicion and discon- tent among the mine-workers.
 Fourth-The incorporation in an agree ment between the United Mine Workers of America and the anthracite coal com panies of the wages which shall be paid and the conditions of employment which shall obtain, together with satisfactory r,ethods for the adjustment of grievances which may arise from time to time to the end that strikes ard lockouts may be unnecessary In support )f this demand we suhmit the following reasons: d) The anthracite mine workers should no. be compelled to make or sign indi" v'dual Pgr greements, but should nave the right to form such organization and choose such agents and officers as they desire to act collectively instead of in- dividually when they deem that their bes- interests are supserved thereby. (2) Agreements between employers and employees thro Ugh workingmen's organi- zatIuns q re the ordinary method of -egu- iating production and wages in the bi- luminous coal fields and in other, large industries, and are beneficial, successful and in keeping with the spirit of the times.
 (3) Unions of worlxingmen tend to the better discipline of the men and to the Improvement of their physical. moral and mental copditions and to the preser- vation of friendly relations between em- ployer and employe.
 6) Experience shows that the trade agreement Is the only effective method by which it Is possible to regulate questions arising between employers and employed in large industries. and that trade I agreement is the only possible way to es- ! tablish the relations between employers and the wage-workers in the anthracite 4 fields on a just and permanent basis and as far as possible to do away with any 4 causes for the recurrence of such difi- ' culties as those you (the Anthracite Coal strike Commission) have been called in &O settle. ReSDeCtfuilV submitted. John Mitchell.
 Representative of the Anthracite Mine Workers.