The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-02-12
LEGISLATORS ACCUSED OF IGNORANCE BY BAER
Continued from First Page.)

(Continued from First Page.) the so-called operators are refusing to allow the miners an increase in wages, thus another strike is threatened This is in form a cowardly statement, the falsity of whcih the public should know
 Prior to 1900 the wages as paid by the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron company were fixed by sliding scale. In 1900 under the leadership of the United Mine Workers association the labor troubles began. It is just, therefore, to compare prices and costs in 1899 with present costs and prices The average price per ton, received by the coal and iron company for it's coal at the mines in 1899 was $l.7lS, the average price per ton received III 19Uo was $2. 449. This shows an increase ot 73 6-10 cents per ton in seven years
 "The increase in the cost of mining was 6S 3-1O cents per ton, which was made up as follows: Labor cost per ton 1899, $1067 labor cost per ton lsOS $1.5S4 The cost of materials increased from 31 4-10 cents in 1899 to 43 cents Tn 1904. In other words the increased cost of production was-labor, 51 7-lO centsi materials, Ii 6-10 cents. or a total of 6S S-1O cents, leaving to the coal com pany an increase of only 10 3-1O cents per ton in the last seven years.
 Tn point of fact, notwithstanding this increase of 10 9-10 cents per ton, if the coal and iron company had charged the usual average royalty of 50 cents per ton for coal mined from its own mines, the operations of the company would have resulted in a loss.
 By reference to the annual report of the coal and iron company for the year 1899 it will be found that the surplus for that year was only $422, ,0SS.SO In the previous year there was deficit of s53,52454.
 "But some one will ask, why is it that the Reading system is now making money and it's stock advancing? Does it not make it up in the transportation of anthracite, what it loses in mining coal2 Here, again, the facts will be a full answer to the suggestions:
 "The transportation of anthracite coal is not the important factor In the | increased revenue of the Reading sys- tenn. As far back as 1877, the anthra- cite traffic was 61.60 per cent of the | total freight and passenger traffic re- ceipts of the Philadelphia and Reading company. Now the receipts from mis- | cellaneous traffic, which does not in clude bituminous coal nor passenger traffic, exceed the receipts from arl- l thracite coal traffic and the, proportion 1 of anthracite traffic has diminished to 33.50 per cent. To-day the passenger receipts alone are equal to one-half receipts on anthracite coal The ir- creased prosperity of the Reading sys- tenn is due to the increase of miscel- | laneous traffic, passenger traffic and | bituminous coal traffic
 Tn point of fact there has been a very small increase in traffic receipts from anthracite coal and no increase in l rates thereon. The average receipts from traffic on anthracite coal for the last five years have been $1O,SS4, $50. The traffic receipts from the same l source in 1883 were $1O,046, ,76O, and in 1893, $1O.12S575.
 These are the facts and if any con- mittee of the legislature wants to veri- by their accuracy, the books of the company are open for Inspection.
 Signed: George F. Baer, l President Reading Company" !