Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-02-13
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Dor union the right. to determine who
shall be our employees The laws of
Pennsylvania and the charter of the Phil
adelphia & Reading Coal and Iron Co. in
express terms give to the president and
directors the power of appointing all such
officers, agents or emp loyes as they hay
deem necessary. We have the right to
employ any honest man without discrm-
nation as to religion, nationality or MEM
bership in labor organizations, This is a
right We Will not surrender. We do not
object to our employees joining labor or
CARNATIONS. This is their privilege But
will not agree to turn over the manage
ment of our business to labor organiza-
ton because some of our employees belong
to it.
IF Mr.. Mitchell simply represented our
own employees and was acting exclusive
ly for them, there could be no objection
to dealing with him; but he represents an
organization having for it's object some
utopian scheme OF uniformity in wages
and conditions in the mining of coal all
over the United States, and instead
therefore, of considering only the ques-
lions at issue between our employees and
ourselves, he is considering general
proposition which relates to all the coal
miners in the United States
ITO limit the right of work is to limit
production. 1t is not only wrong done
to the individual, but it is a violation of
sound economic principles and therefore
an injury to society. The ultimate effect
of restricting production, so as to divide
employment and increased wages must
be to keep on dividing the wage fund as,
often as new men seek emp loyment
There must be a limit to an increase of
wages, but there can be no limit to the
increase of workmen. The process must
inevitably lead to the destruction of the
industry or the reduction of wages to ev-
cry man to a sum barely sufficient to sus-
tain life. Wages can only increase when
each individual is left free to exert HIM
self to his fullest capacity, thereby Great
ing wealth which in turn gives new en-
ployment, creates a demand for commod-
tiles and demand for workmen to produce
them Only in this way can the wage
fund be increased.
feet of mere possibilities of monopoly.
what must be the measure of anxiety as
to placing the fuel of the country in one
organization and that. too, an organiza-
ton without capital or responsibility.
we are not left to conjecture. The
facts are before us. The United Mine
Workers have created a monster monop-'
oily. They did shut up the anthracite
mines for more than five months. They
taxed the bituminous mines and all labor
erS over whom organized labor had con-
troll to support the strike. The owners
of bitumnouS mines, some in Self-defence,
others in the hope of gain, contributed to
the strike fund. With what result? The
coal more than doubled. The supply was
Inadequate The public was suffering, not
only from high price but from a scarcity
of coal.
Industrial op erations closed down and
men were 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, the
honest workmen and the we'll do suf-
fered for want of fuel 4i"'
1.-The records show that an honest effort
was made to convince the United Mine
Workers that their demands were unjust
Who now will say in the light of the tes-
timony that the demands for a uniform
rate of wages extending all over the an
thracite regions was reasonable? The diff
ference in conditions between the anthra-
cite operations and the bituminous opera
tons were clearly pointed out to these la
Dor leaders.
we met them as they required before
the National Civic Federation and dis
crssed the whole situation. At the Sug-
gestion of the Civic Federation commit
tee of our employees and operators was
appointed TO IurIHoF CONSIDER the SUBJECT
and report to a meeting of the fedora
ton, to be called by it's chairman.
When we parted it was with the dis
tinct understanding that we should report
to the Civic Federation the result of our
conference. To our amazement the Civic
Federation, for reasons of its own, was
never convened to hear, our report. Wei
had a right to expect that the gentlemen
of the Civic Federation would deal hon
estly and justly by us and by their cotfl-
sci and advice and influence help avert
the great disaster which in all it's ugli-
ness is now before US. They deserted the
cause they had espoused."
Mr.. Baer then read the letter from
Pres. Mitchell suggesting that the queS-
tons at issue be submitted to a commit
tee of five of the industrial bureau of the
National Civic Federation. With regard
to this Mr.. Baer said:
Human ingenuity could not devise a
proposition more unfair. 1t is proposed
that an arbitration board be selected by
the Industrial branch of the National
Civic Federation. The Industrial branch
of that federation is composed of the lead
ing labor leaders of the United States.
There is not a single representative of the
anthracite mine owners on it, This same
industrial branch had utterly failed in the
conferences We had already had with it,
After reviewing the old sliding scale
wage system, Mr.. Baer presented this
proposition:
'''rhat 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
ditiona five per cent: that on and after
April l. 1903. for each five cents in excess
of $3.50 per ton on the average price real
lied for white ash coal in the harbor of
New York, on all sizes above pea, wages
shall be advanced one per cent; the
wages to rise or fall one per cent. for
each five cents increase or decrease in
prices; they shall never fall during the
next three years below the present basis.
THE average price for each region to
be ascertained by competent accountant
to be appointed by Judge Gray, chairman
of the commissions: or in case, for any
reason. Judge Gray cannot act. then by
one of the United States circuit judges
holding court 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 III
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, b. New York, with the
right of the accountant to have access to
the books to verify the statement"
BOTH CAN REMARRY.
Except that Crown Princess Cannot