The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-10
Mark Hanna on Signs Of the Times
In His Usual Sensible and lncisive Way He Pre-
sents His Views Trusts, Labor Strikes and
the Outlook for the Future. Opinions Worth
Reading..A Modest Statesman

capital and labor. What do you know about
working menu
Il have been associated with them all
my life i have been a large employer Of
labor for more than thirty years. and am
now Interested In enterprises which give
work 10 many"
What kind Of enterprises I asked?'
Various kinds, the reply. Coal
mines in Ohio. iron mines In Michigan, YES
sells and shipbuilding works the lakes,
street railroads and various factories and
THE QUESTION OF STRIKES.
How about strikes, senator. have you
had many?"
None OF Importance. and none which
were not amicably settled" was the reply.
The first strike of which 1 had any ex-
perience was that Of the coal miners OF
the Tuscarawas valley II occurred in 1874.
about thirty years ago. At that time 1
went to Massilon near where the mines
were, and lived with the people The strike
was hard one, and 1t caused great suf-
fering. In trying to settle IT, II seemed TO
me the situation was all wrong, and |
there got the idea about such matters upon
which have acted ever since. II is that
upon which the Civic Federation is based,
and is that all such things should be set
tied by conference and mutual Cancellation
between the wOrkmen and their employers"
WAS that strike settled in that way,
senator?' / asked.
NO: it was fought out to the end Not
long after IL was settled the representatives
of the bituminOus coal mining organizations
came TO Cleveland and asked me TO organ
lie the operators in order that might
cooperate together and avoid such
troubles in the future. l did form an or
ganizatiOn, and as long as IL continued,
which was for several years, all our diff
ficultieS were settled by arbitration. Since
then the same principle has been adopted
I'm connection with the national organiZa-
ton of the United Mine Workers. They
combine with the operators, both meeting
together once year to nix scale, which
Is In the nature or an annual agreement,
and forms the scale of wages for that year.
This policy has proved most satisfactory to
employers and employees"
THE ANTHRACITE COAL TROUBLES.
But do the men keep such contracts?'
YES" replied Senator Hanna, especially
in the old and well-organized unions. Take
the case of the United Mine Workers dur
ing the great anthracite strike of last year.
You will remember the situation. One
hundred and fifty thousand men were out
OF work, tie families of many Of them were
on the edge of starvation, the mines were
closed down, and the whole country was
in the thrOes of a coal famine. Now, ii is
law of the United Mine Workers that if
five of the different organizations COM
posing il demand a national convention il
has to be called. Five did call for it. in
Guiding some organizations already in
volved in the strike.
As a result a thousand ueleBateS. repre-
senting the vast army of bituminous coal
miners met at Indianapolis with John
Mitchell as their president. They had a
contract for the year with the operators as
TO prices and wages, and the question was
whether they should break this and join in
the sympathetic strike TO help their
brothers, the anthracite miners of Pennsyl-
vania.
AT that convention the awful condition
in the anthracite mines was explained, the
terrible want and suffering set forth and a
general strike demanded thew Qra ed
the demand and broken their contract with
the operators they would have inflicted in
calculable loss to the United States. Most
Of our industries would have come to a
standstilL. Within short time the coal on
hand would have been used and every fac
tory would have had to shut down. Every
upon the railroad, except perhaps the
mails, would have had to stop, and cold and
want would have dropped upon a majority
of the homes of the United States
THE public did not fully realize ii, but the
situation was a terrible one. John Mitchell
saw IL and In connection with the other
leaders of the United Mine Workers brought
forth the sentiment which prevented the
strike. The question was referred to a COM
mittee of twenty-nine. who strove one whole
night as to its settlement. In the morning
they brought forth resolution which was
adopted by the convention. 1t was that the
United Mine Workers would stick TO their
contract. but also that they would give 10
per cent. of their wages TO help their
brothers in their strike in the anthracite
mines of Pennsylvania"
ORGANIZED LABOR COME TO STAY.
''Iow about organized labor, senator?
Has IL come to stay?"
There Is no doubt of it," was the reply.
1T is a condition and should be treated
accordingly. The trades union is not an
original creation OF the United States. 1t
was imported from England. 1t is now being
Americanlzed and it is better in every way
than the English union. 1t does not believe
in the restriction of output and in the limi-
taton of individual effort"
YES" said /. but IL does believe In a
continuous shortening of hours and a con-
tinuaI increase of wages. Can this go on
and our industries continue?''
Such things regulate themselves" re-
piled Senator Hanna. THE movements are
perfectly natural ones. The capitalist
tries to get all he out of his share of
the business and so does the workman,
With our enormous immigration and re-
stricted supply of work there have been
cattle thief who was hanged at York. Eng