Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1903-01-08
INDEPENDENT OPERATORS.
Answer of the Independent Anthrncits
Operators to the Miners De-
mands Made Public.

of the independent coal operators 10
the demands Of the miners was made
nublic here Sunday. The answer will
be submitted Il the anthracite strike
commission. 1t was written by john
Markle, managing partner OF the
firm. The statement is in part as
follows:
"The present firm was formed en-
December 80, 1889, for the purpose OF
mining coal upon lands that had been
under lease from the Union Improve
ment Co. for 50 years from January
/, 800, and from the Highland Coal
Co. for 30 years from January |, 1872.
The mines are situated ut or near
Jeddo. The firm employees about two
thousand four hundred men, and
many of it's employees reside in the
villages Of Freeland, about two miles
distant, and Hazleton, about seven
miles distant from Jeddo.
How Physicians Were Paid.
"From the time of my first connec-
ton with the business, in 1880, there
have always been a resident physician
and assistant physician upon the prop
erty, until recently, with the excep-
ton of a short interval. The firm Sc
lected the head physician, who chose
his assistants, and we collected rs
cents a month from married men and
so cents a month for the single men
over 81, and the amount collected
was paid over to the physician with
out charge or deduction therefrom.
This arrangement was not compul-
sorry upon the men Or families.
SIN the early part of 1898 my wife
employed, at her w expense, a
trained nurse to look after the sick.
and later, when this nurse retired, an
other nurse from St. Luke's hospital
in Bethlehem took her place. who in
troduced the system of district nurs-
ing in the borough of Jeddo and in
the neighboring villages.
The Company stores.
"Stores for the sale of general mer-
chandise and of miners supplies have
always been maintained upon the
property, and have been and are an
accommodation to the men and their
families. The men have never been
required to deal there"
Continuing, the answer says q slid
ing scale basis of labor had been
agreed upon in 1875 and had from
that time been generally in force in
the Lehigh region. In September,
1897, a committee of miners present
ed certain demands to the firm. An
agreement was then in existence be-
tween the company and men to settle
differences by arbitration. The COM
pany replied to the demands and re-
ceived no further communication
from the miners. Work at the mines
continued uninterrupted until the lat
ter part of 1900, when John Mitchell
made his headquarters at Hazleton
and endeavored to organize the Mar
kle employees.
Miners Broke Agreement.
In September, 1900, another list Of
grievances was furnished the firm
the company's answer being that il
the men were not satisfied with the
paw the officials would be willing #
arbitrate. The next communication
from the men demanded arbitration
but the committee selected by the
employees reported that the latter hae
broken their agreement with the com
pany by striking before their griev
ances had been submitted to arbitra
ton.
Finally, on October n, 1900, a com
mittee of the men appealed to thu
firm for an adjustment of the diff
ferences. This was accomplished, ant
on October 30 work was resumed.
The Strike Commission
Referring to the appointment o
the commission, Mr.. Markle says: "a
we had not been parties to the CORE
spondence under which the anthracite
strike commission was appointed ant
the strike declared off, we were no
willing to permit our men to return
to work without a distinct under
standing that they would abide by tn
award to be made by the commission
Notice was accordingly posted tina
those wishing to secure employment
should call at the Office and shout
bring with them the brass check
which they had. When this motto
was posted, we were informed tina
some of them objected upon tn
ground that the men should be take
back in a body, and the rumor wa
started to the effect that they woul
!, be required to sign an ironclad agree
ment as a condition of going to worl
Cause OF the Evictions.
meanwhile I had been informe
that the same men who had bee
making trouble during the strik
we're taking a leading part in intim
dating and threatening anyone con
ing to the Office and returning t
work under the conditions specifies
On the morning of Monday, Octobe
~, 1902, I ordered notices to give II
: possession of houses to be served III
:, on IL men who had been active
preventing the men from resumin
work. No attempt was made TO CO
: lect the arrears of rent which ha
accrued during the strike, and IL
, notice to quit having been ser7cd o
tober 81, judgment in ejectnent ~
entered November S, and the parti'
ev;cted on November 6, 1902"
BANK ROBBERS STILL BUSY