The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-02-12

for them, there could be no objection to
dealing with him. But he represents an
organization having for its object some
UtoDian scheme of uniformity in wages
and conditions in the mining of coal all
over the United States. and instead OF
considering the questions at issue be-
tween our employees and ourselves he
is considering a general proposition
which relates to all the coal miners in
the United States.
To limit the right of exertion-of
works to limit production. It is not
only a wrong done TO the individual
but 1t is a violation of sound economic
principles and therefore an injury to
society. The ultimate effect of restrict
ing production SO as to divide employ
ment and increase wages must be to
keep on dividing the wage fund as Of
ten as new men seek employment.
There must be a limit to an increase
Of wages but there a be no limit to
the Increase of WOrkmen. The process
must inevitably lead to the destruction
Of the industry or the reduction of tho
Wages of every man to a sum barely
sufficient to sustain life. Wages can
only increase when each individual is
left free to exert himself to his fullest
capacity, thereby creating wealth
which in turn gives new employment
creates mani for commodities and
demand for to produce them.
Only in this way can the fund be in
creased. If We are over anxious about
the mere probabilities of monopoly
hat must be the measure of anxiety
as to placing the control of the fuel Of
the country in n organization, and
that, too. an organization without cap
ital or responsibility.
HAVE CREATED A MONOPOLY.
are not left to conjecture. The
United Mine Workers ave created .
monster monopoly. They did shut up
the anthracite mines for more than five
months. They taxed the bituminOus
mines aud all Ia horo~z oxar urbo.,, o~
ganized labor had control to support
the strike. The owners of bituminous
mines, some in self defense, others in
the hopes of gain, contributed to the
strike fund. With what result The
price of both anthracite and bitumin-
Gus coal more than doubled. The sup
ply was Inadequate The public was
suffering not only from a high price
but from a scarcity of coal. Industrial
operations closed down and men were
thrown out of employment. All over
the land, except in districts hat could
be supplied by the great anthracite
coal company, the poor, honest work
men and the well to do suffered for
the want of fuel. The record shows
that an honest effort was made to cor
vince the mine worker that their de-
mands We're unjust. Who now viii
say, in the light of the testimony that
the demand for a Uniform rate OF
wages extending all over the anthra-
cite regions was r~easonable2 The diff
ferences III condition between the an
thracite operations and the bituminous
operations were clearly pointed out to
these labor leaders.
We met them as they requested be-
fore the National civic Federation and
discussed the whole situation. At the
suggestion of the Civic Federation a
committee of our employees and OPP
orators were appointed to further con-
slider the subject and to meet at a fu-
ture time. When we parted it was the
distinct understanding that we should
report to the Civic Federation the &c
suit of our conference. To QUIZ amaze
ment the Civic Federation, for reasons
of its own. was never convened to hear
our report. We had a right to expect
that the gentlemen of the federation
would deal honestly and justly by US,
and by their counsel and advice and
influence help to avert the great dis
aster. which in al its ugliness is now
before US. They deserted the cause
they had ~espoused-s
MITCHELLtS LETTER.
Mr.. Baer then read the letter from
President Mitchell suggesting that the