The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-02

| loss, slight depression, without asking lne
miners to share 1t all for them.
"And 1 want to say the most convincing
proof that ii is possible to secure Is the
report of the Pittsburg Coal Company. I
am not going to say anything about the
to the published reports of the price OF coal
In the Chicago market, in the great North
west, to demonstrate that in Indiana and
reason assigned in favor of reduction Of
wages.
LABOR CONDITIONS IMPROVED.
Mr. Chairman, 1 do earnestly hope that
the operators present will see their way
clear to withdraw their demand for a re-
duction in wages and let this movement
go on. They have enjoyed their full meas
ure Of prosperity during those last five or
six years. We. too, have done very we'll
"Our conditions of life and our condi-
tons of labor are better than they ever
were before; but, let me say to you, that
in return for these better conditions Of life
and labor have given you better serv
Ice every year.
1.-THE reports Of our product show that for
every day our people go down in the mines
they give you a greater return. 1t shows
you that we perform our labor better than
we did during the old times. when we were
at war continuously. If IL were possible
for me to say anything that would perpet-
uate this movement more than 1 have said
Il SnOulQ certainty not take my seat now. Il
hope that we will go and that we will
continue to be, as we have been In the past
six years. the leaders in the cause of in
dustrial peace"
Mr.. Robbins replied to Mr.. Mitchell, say
"Mr. Mitchell bases his argument. to
start, upon the fact that the furnaces of
the u. s. Steel and other companies in the
vicinity of Pittsburg have started up. How
have they started up? BY reduction for
every man that works for them. Not
man but has stood a reduction In order to
start them UP.
we have reduced our coal to start them
And ii is why you will start, and why you
will get more work If you will make a
corresponding reduction in your wages.
81 want to protest, to start with, Mr..
Chairman, that this interstate movement
must be bolstered up by bringing represent
atives of the United Mine Workers of
longing to this four-state movement.
want to protest that the movement has
got beyond you when you have got to
bring mere the anthracite miners and min
ers from all over the field in order TO make
a scale for the operators of Pennsylvania,
Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. You nave gone
beyond the possibility Of fairness when you
when you attempt to bring them here and
have packed gallery for this purpose"
CAPITAL LACKS CONFIDENCE.
Mr.. Mitchell has referred to the state
ment of the Pittsburg Coal Company. There
is not a word in that statement that is not
absolutely true.
Did you ever realize what investment
of large operating company means?
"Mr. Mitchell has given an opportunity
to make object lesson here. I am
ashamed almost to state il, but capital has
so little confidence in you and in your trade
unionism that it is unwilling to invest its
money, even upon the basis of this showing,
and to-day the stock of the company that
was purchased at par. $780, is selling
for $40, and the people who have owned IL
and have put their money into Ii have
suffered that terrible depreciation of hav-
ing il cut in two. Now, in the face of all
this, with your knowledge OF 1t, there have
been reductions in all those fields Now you
say you are not going 10 meet them, and
say, for one, as far as i am concerned, /
shall never sign a scale except upon these
conditions"
Mr.. Mitchell took the floor for a few min
utes at this point and referred 10 a state
ment issued to the stockholders of the
Pittsburg Coal Company to the effect that
ii would be able TO pay 10 per cent divi-
dends for the next five years. even If it did
ment." he said, Il believe the Pittsburg
Coal Company can operate al present prices
and make profits next year"