Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-12
.BAER BATTLES UNION
Readings President Makes
Final Argument.
SAYS WAGES ARE FAIR
CLOSES ADDRESS WITH PROPOSE
TON TO MINERS.
Men and Women Fight for Standing
Room to Hear the Opera
tor Talk.
SAYS WAGES ARE FAIR

PHILADELPHIA, February 12.-With
the expectation of hearing George F. Baer,
president of the Philadelphia and Reading
Company, make the closing argument
against the demands of the miners the
largest crowd that has yet damned into the
United States circuit court room was
present when the coal strike commission
opened it's sessions today.
Many prominent men and women were
among the throng which fought it's way
into the hearing room.
Former Representative Wolverton. prin-
cipal counsel for the Philadelphia and
Reading Coal and Iron Company, who was
making his argument when the commission
adjourned yesterday afternoon, closed this
morning.
Mr.. Wolverton presented an array of fig
hres tending to show that the average earn
ings of the contract miners Of the Reading
company are higher than the average earn
ings of most of the skilled workmen of the
state.
He also opposed the demand for an eight
hour day, because it would reduce the out
put of the mines and also would reduce the
present wages of the men.
Reverting to the wage question Mr. VOL
verton said that, if an increase in wages is
decided upon it should not be horizontal
Read From Manuscript.
Mr.. Wolverton closed at 1920 o'clock.
Owing to the crowd in the court room there
was considerable noise and confusion while
he was speaking but the instant President
Baer rose a hush fell over the assemblage
which lasted as long as he was on his feet.
Mr.. Baer is considered a good speaker,
but he preferred to read his carefully pre-
md fhorn hn
lay down his manuscript and raise his voice
to high pitch when he wished to en-
phasize strong point.
When Mr.. Baer reached that part of his
address where he referred to the calling out
OF the steam men, Lawyer barrow. for the
miners, interrupted the speaker to correct
him.
Mr. Baer answered in a sentence and then
continued his remarks on the steam men.
Then laying down his address and survey
Ing the commissioners, Mr.. Baer said that
in disputes between capital and labor, the
general public is largely in sympathy with
labor.
1t is human, he said. and a good trait in
the race, to sympathize with the weak
against the strong. and, therefore, 81 can
find no fault with the criticisms, though
they are harsh, that have been made
against u.s.
A Wage Proposition.
President Baer, In closing his argument,
reviewed the old sliding scale" wage sys-
tenn. and presented this proposition:
THAT the rate of wages now paid shall
be the minimum basis for the next three
years; that from the LIST of November, 1892,
to the LIST of April, 1903, all employees, other
than contract miners. shall be paid an ad-
dftionai per cent: that on and after April
!, 1903, for each five cents in excess Of 81. 90
per ton on the average price realized for
white ash coal In the harbor Of New York,
on all sizes above pea, wages shall be ad-
vanced 1 per cent, the wages to rise or fall
1 per cent for each five cents increase or
decrease in prices. but they shall never fall
during the next three years below the pres
ent basis
''The average price for each region to be
ascertained by competent accountant, to
be appointed by Judge Gray, chairman of
the commission; or In case, for any reason,
Judge Gray cannot act, then by one of the
United States circuit judges holding courts
In the city of Philadelphia.
''The compensation Of the accountant to
be fixed by the judge making the appoint
ment. 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, f. o. b., New York, with the
right of the accountant to have access to
the books to verify the statement
In the course Of his argument Mr.. Baer
saidi
President Baer's Argument.
"In the development Of the natural re-
sources Of the earth 1t is necessary for men
to combine both their capital and their en-
ergy. Railroads. steamship lines. great
steel plants and workshops of every kind
can only be created by a combination of
capital.
I'VE are apt to overlook the part these
business corporations play in the distribu-
ton of wealth. Their stockholders are
many. scattered far and wide. and the bust
ness Is not owned, as many people suppose,
by few very rich men.
1.-The profits made In any large business
carried on by a firm, consisting Of one fam
lily, or very few persons, are distributed
among these few, but a successful business
carried on in corporate form distributes its
profits among the many, and therefore nee
essarily tends to a greater distribution Of
wealth.
Right to Organize.
SIN general. no one denies the right Of
man to organize for any lawful purpose
but the right to organize, and the power Of
the organization when organized. must still
be governed and controlled by the general
law of the land under which our individual
and property rights are protected.
I'VE concede to organized labor the same
rights that we claim for organized capital.
.
not be one law for citizens and corporations
and another for labor organizations
1.-THE lawlessness in the coal regions was
the direct result of mistaken theories as to
the rights of the mine workers. It will not
do to say that the leaders have not encour-
aged violence and crime. 1t is true, no
doubt, that they did not advise It.
"They may at times have counseled
against 1t. and expressed regrets for 1t;
nevertheless. they are legally and morally
responsible for the situation they created,
and from which this violence and crime
necessarily resulted.
Resolution No. IS of the Shamolxin con-
vention approves the action of district con-
vention No. I, which decided to insist upon
forcing all who work in and around the
mines to become members of the union, and
that they may be authorized to refuse to
work with non-union men,.
Intended to Force Demands.
"The leaders intended to force their de-
mands by the threatened destruction Of the
mines. They we'll knew that II the pump
ing ceased the mines would be destroyed
They thought the operators would yield
rather than see the ruin Of the mines. The