The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-01-05
Says Miners Have Always Been
Treated Fairly and With
Great Consideration
SLIDING SCALE HAS BEEN
IN FORCE SINCE 1875
The Chief of the Independent Opera
tors Says That After His Compa-
ny Offered to Operate Men
Went Back on Promises.

Philadelphia, January 4.-The answer OF
G. B. Markle & Co., Independent coai
operators, to the demands or the miners
was made public here today. The answer
will be submitted to the anthracite strlhe
commission which re-assembles in tnls
city tomorrow 1t was written by John
Markle, managing partner OF the hrH.
The statement, after giving the details Oh
the formation and purposes of the COM
pany which was organized December So'
1889, to mine coal upon lands leased IN
certain portions of Pennsylvania, con-
tinues:
",rhe lessees erected and own all the
improvements upon the property, includ-
ing breakers, stores, shops and tenement
houses.
From the time of my first connection
with the business, in 1880, there have al
ways been a resident physician and as
sistant physician upon the property, until
recently, with the exception OF snort
interval. The firm selected the head phy-
sician, who chose his assistants and we
collected rs cents a month for the mar
ried men and 30 cents month for the
single men over q, and the amount col
lected was paid over to the physician
This arrangement was not compulsory
upon the men or families.
His Wife Hired Nurses.
an the early part of 1898 my wife en-
nloyed. at her own expense, a trained
nurse to look after the sick, and later,
when this nurse retired another nurse
from St. Luke's hospital In Bethlehem
took her place, who introduced the sys-
tenn in district nursing in the borough Of
Jeddo and in the neighboring villages.
"Stores for the sale of general mer-
chandise and of miners supplies have
always been maintained upon the prop
erty. and have been and are an accommo-
dation to the men and their families. The
men have never been required to deal
there.
..Ry the terms of the coal leases g. b.
Markle & Co. are required to pay all
the taxes upon the property. The taxes
Maid bv the coal operators constitute
the largest portion of the taxes collected
in the country"
Continuing. the answer says a sliding
scale basis of labor had been agreed upon
in 1876 and had from that time been
generally in force in the Lehigh region.
In September, 1897, a committee OF min
ers presented certain demands to the firm.
An agreement was then in existence be-
tween the company and men to settle diff
ferences by arbitration. The company re-
pled to the demands and received no
further communication from the miners
Work at the mines continued uninterrupt-
ed until the latter part of 1900 when John
Mitchell made his headquarters at Hazle-
ton and endeavored to organize the
Markle employees.
Willing to Arbitrate.
in September, 1900, another list OF
grievances was furnished the firm, the
company's answer being that If the men
were not satisfied with the reply, the Of
ficias would be willing to arbitrate. The
next communication from the men de-
manded arbitration, but the committee
selected by the employees reported that
the latter had broken their agreement
with the company by striking before their
grievances had been submitted to arpi-
tration.
FINALLY, on October 27, 1900, committee
of the men appealed to the firm for an
adjustment of the differences. This was
accepted, and October 20 work was re-
sumed at the mines.
From that time until the strike was
ordered in May last the conditions of la
factory"
The answer further states:
Between 1900 and 1902 many requests
were made for the correction of alleged
grievances, which were all taken up and
considered and acted upon; but the men
made no complaint in reference to the
method Of collecting the dues for the doc
tors or the nurses. nor was attention
called to any defect In respect to ventila-
d., or ,1pfaj freatrnept- a tba atora or
as to the size of the cars, nor as to the
slope cleaning, or the docking, until APP
ril. 1902. and we had every reason to be-
lieve that. taken as a whole, the men were
entirely satisfied with the conditions of
their employment.
Size of Cars Not Changed.
"In the course of the hearings at Scran-
ton. complaint was made of the size of
the cars but in reality the size has not
been changed, as will be proved by the
testimony of the builders which will be
produced 1t was alleged that the dock
ing was excessive, but the accountant will
testify that 1t was less than per cent
objection was also mace rnat the full 10
per cent advance was not given. The man.
ner in which the advance was computed
was repeatedly explained to the men, and
n viii be shown by the expert account
ant that 1t was correctly calculated
Referring to the appointment of the
commission, Mr.. Markle says:
"As we had not been parties to the cor
respondence under which the anthracite
strike commission was appointed. and the
strike declared off, we were not willing
10 permit our men to return to work with
ont a distinct understanding that they
would abide by the award to be made
nv the commission. Notice was according
" posted that those wishing to secure
employment should call at the office and
hiring with them the brass checks which
thew had When this notice was posted
we were informed that some Of the men
Objected upon the ground that the men
should be taken back in a body, and the