The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-10-07

month until 1t Will remain Stnt10nary
Tor s1x months. How many tons shall
send you? II the purchaser was dis
Inclined to pay the price named by
Mr.. Baer he would be told that coal
was for sele only at q dxed figure; he
could take Or leave It. In my arEu-
ments to the miners have said that
If labor were az we'll organized as
capital 1t could, with equal consistency
say to the employers, Here's our la
boz: It's worth 50 much. We've fixed
q price on It just al you AK price
on COAL II you want it at our price
It will be sold to you: II not, we shall
keep 1t until you mead it badly enough
to pay our price for It,
TN using this Illustration Of the Diff
ference between labor 9nd other COM
have simply sought to DEM
onstrate the idea that human labor II
entitled to at least az much considera-
tion as coal or other inanirnate pro-
ducts. But either through misamder-
or design the impression has
been conveyed to: the public that we
were going to New York next spring
and walk up to MI. Baer and his col
leagues and definitely assert: Here,
Mr.. Baer, we have the labor Of 10000
men to sell; we want 30 much wages
for It: you can take 1t at our price or
leave it alone: we'll keep 1t until you
need it badly enough to pay our price
for it: while, as a matter Of fact. our
whole ambition is to be able-when we
do meet the anthracite operators for
the purpose Of negotiating new agree
say, We are here Az the
spokesman and representatives Of all
the men and boys employed in the an
thracite mines: we wish to confer with
you upon the question Of ours1oint re-
We are deshtrous OF entering
into an agreement fixing wages, hours
of labor and other conditions of en-
ployment. We have certain claims
which we desire to present, among
them being the recognition of uor un-
ion as a contracting party and the es-
tablishment Of q maximum eight hour
workday.' II we are in a position to
speak for all the employees OF the var
foas coal companies, I am quite sure
we shall be able to negotiate q better:
a portion q the n,en. .s <.s<: r.
''Now, ladies and gentlemen, have
gone into this matter in detail, not be-
cause care particularly for the crit
icisms Of myself, but because I am de-
sirous that the cause Of organized la
hor shall not suffer through misunder-
standing or through Misrepresentation.
AT no time in my life have I felt so
keenly the gravity Of the labor sttua-
tion 1 nthe anthracite fields. While 1t
is true that hope for an adjustment
Of our relations with the anthracite op-
orators upon a basis that will BE- satis-
factory to US and at the same time fair
to them, there are, nevertheless, many
evidences that the employers are pre-
pairing either for an aggressive move
ment against US Or to resist any rea-
sonable demands ;. We may make Of
them. Our organization In these fields
is honeycofnbed with spies employed
by the Thiel detective agency In the
enrly part Of last month fifty Of these
cmissaries were shipped from Chicago
and have been distributed among the
local unions Of the entire region. These
men were supplied with transfer cards
fraudulently obtained from our locals
in various states Of the Central West.
We know where they are located and
we know the work they are doing.
1.-THE operators have ALSO attempted
to nullify the mine certificate law, This
law was enacted by the Legislature
some years ago and was inteded to
$Sra -
in the mines It is indicative of their
lack Of regard for the welfare Of their
employees when the operators seek by
subterfuge to remove their safe1uard,
which affords us some small protection
against the hazard Of our employment.
It may be important at this time to
say that there is no employment in
America more dangerous than that Of
mining coal. And If the operators are
pernMtte dto employ the carless and
incompetents to fill the responsible po-
sitions now held by those who have
demonstrated their ability by passing
a rigid examination, it will result in a
further increase in the number of men
who shall be killed and MANNED in the
anthracite mines.
1T is my earnest hope that the coal
mine workers Of America will unite in
one solid phalanx, being prepared to
defend what they have gained. and
when opportunity presents itself, con-
stantly to ask for more.
ITO those unfamiliar with the condi-
tions Of our life and labor, 1t may ap-
pear that we are unnecessarily or un-
reasonably extravagant in the demands
we make: but. my fellow-workmen, we
should not cease our efforts until The
coal mine workers Of our country are
in such q position that their earnings
shall be sufficient to enable them, by
the exercise Of reasonable frugality, to
support themselves and their families
with all the necessities Of life, to live
tn comfortable homes, properly to edu-
cate their children, and to make pro-
vision for their own: declining years.
There IN nothing that ! can imagine
so sad as to see an old man, after a
whole life Of industry. and when he 10
no longer able to work, cast adrift to
become an inmate Of the alnnshouse or
q