Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-02-12

ated a monster monopoly. They did
shut up the anthracite mines for more
than five months. They taxed the BIZ
luminous miners, and all laborers over
whom organized labor had control. to
support the strike. The owners of the
bituminous mines, some in self defense,
others in hope of gain, contributed to
the strike fund. With what result?
The price of both anthracite and BIZ
luminous coal is more than doubled.
the supply is inadequate. The public is
suffering not only from high price.
but from scarcity OF coal. Industrial
operations are closed down. men
thrown out of employment. All over
the land, except in the districts that
could be supplied by the great an
thracite coal companies, the poor. hon
est workmen and the we'll do suf-
fered for want of fuel. The record
shows that an honest effort was made
to convince the United Mine Workers
that their demands We're unjust"
Baer gave a comprehensive account
OF the difficulties and expense entailed
in production of anthracite coal. Cor
cerning wages he expressed the be-
lief that the evidence on the wage
question justifies the proposition of the
operators.
Baer's Proposition.
After reviewing the old Sliding
Scale wage system, Baer presented
this proposition: THAT the rate of
wages now paid shall be the minimum
basis for the next three years; that
from the first of November to the first
of April, 1903, all employees other than
contract miners, shall be paid an adj
lditional per cent. That on and after
April ], for each 5 cents in excess of
realized for white ash coal in the
pea, wages shall be advanced / per
cent, the wages to rise or fall one per
cent for each 5 cents increase or de-
crease in the prices, but they shall
never fall during the next three years
below the present basis. The average
price for each region to be ascertalned
by competent accountant to be ap-
pointed by Judge Gray or one of the
United States circuit judges of Phila-
delphia. The compensation of the ac-
countant to be fixed by the judge max
ing the appointment and to be paid
by the operators, in proportion to the
tonnage at each mine, each operator
to submit a full statement each month
to said accountant of all sales of
white ash coal and the prices realized
therefrom. +. o. b. New York. with
right of the accountant to have access
to the books to verify the statement" :"
During the address Baer said that in
disputes between capital and labor the
general public was largely in sympathy
with labor. II is human, he said. and
a good trait in the race to sympathize
wit the weak against the strong and
therefore. Il can find no fault with
the criticisms. tho they are harsh that
have been made against us"
Baer supplemented his remarks on
the eight-hour days proposition by say
ing that contract miners who only work
five or six hours a day should be public
pensioners and make the consumer
and workingmen, who must have coal
10 keep them warm, cook their meals
and pay the pension. When he reached
the proposition for paying wages on a
sliding scale basis he added the state
ment that the company will take the
| risk. and it is a great risk, he said.
TO keep the present rate OF wages in
force. He suggested the federal gov
ernment should give an island to the
socialists where they could go and in
vent a socialistic scheme. In closing
he said the operators, for the time
being, surrendered, not to the miners,
but to the commission. He spoke for
two hours and twenty minutes and was
followed by Darrow, who began the
closing address for the miners.