The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-12-12

remains that they largely reduce the average number of days that the men workd in and about the mines.
 For example, during the present year there was a strike of some dura- ton in the anthracite region entirely due to the action of Mir. Mitchell and his organization, and practically all the bituminous mines in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana. Illinois. Iowa, Missou- ri, Kansas, Indian Territory and Texas were idle during all of April and May, and some of them during part of June, and others during the entire month of June.
 "The average number of days the men work Is also reduced by the dif- ferent holidays observed by the min- CTS. Labor Day. the Eight-hour Day. John Mitchell Day, Virden Day and other such days are more or less ob- served throughout the country. Then there are the holy days and saints days on which the mines are thrown idle in many sections of the country.
 After each pay day there are many men who remain away from work with an attack of payday fever Frequent excuses are found for either shutting down the mines, or for a considerable percentage of the men to remain away from work whenever there Is a funeral of someone directly, indirectly or re- motely connected with the mining fra ternity.
 If, as Mir. Mitchell says. the men really desired to work 300 days in theI year, the mine owners would only too gladly operate their mines. for upon the steady operation of the mines their business success depends. Every coal mining company is subject to fixed charges which must be paid on days when the mine is idle as well as on the days when the men work. There Is ev- cry reason why the owners of the mines should wish to work 300 days in thel year, and there is no good reason why they should wish to work only the min imum number of days. There Is today a scarcity of good miners in many sec tions of the country, If not In all sec tions of the country.
 Figures Refute Mitchell.
 There is not time to go into a com plete examination of figures, but let us take as an example and illustration some of the figures of the principal collieries of the anthracite coal fields worked by the miners in 1905 were as follows:
 D. & H, First District. ....245 days D. & H, Second District. 251 days Lehigh Valley. '''...'2SS days Philadelphia & Reading. .... 260 days
 Now there are twenty-nine holi- days in these districts which are ob- served by the English and foreign min CTS in Pennsylvania. The nature of mining is such that if any considerable number of men quit all are thrown into idleness, because the colliery cannot run. Accordingly the holidays observed bv the English miners compel the for eigners to take a holiday, and holi- days which are observed by foreign miners in turn compel the English to lay off also, and the work of the break CT is interrupted in both occasions by no fault of the operator
 Besides the holidays, plcnlcs' eN- cursions and circuses keep many away, make necessary frequent shutdown.
 .The practice of quitting work when miner is killed, and also on the day of the funeral is responsible for much more loss of time. although the funeral is attended generally by none of the miners who quit work. Add to the fig ures quoted above the time thus lost of the miners own volition, and you can easily account for over thirty days.
 Tt follows, therefore from the fore going facts. that t is not from the want of opportunity that the employees of these industrial institutions do not earn good wages each working day of the wear. mt because there Is no de- mana for their labor for each day, but principally because of the intervention of these numerous occasions for recre- otion set arart for their observance t
 Prefer "RecreatiOn" to Work. .T have some knowledge of the de- mana for mine labor in West Virginia, and do know that the operators have not been able to operate their collieries to their full capacity for want of la bor. and can safely say that I could locate at those collieries several thous- and mine Iaborers if Mir. Mitchell will fell me where to find them., and if they will work at railroad construction at wages ranging from $1.50 to g per dav I can place 10000 or more with contractors who are eagerly looking for laborers.
 "The requirements of our ever in- | creasing manufactures and commerce ! demand more labor. which cannot be suDplied from native sources. and hence i the necessity of meeting them by re- { sort to immigrant labor"
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