The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1906-09-13

! ed into our sea coast cities takes the
place of like amount that would be
mined by American miners. The min
ers who may be thrown out of employ
ment in Pennsylvania, Virginia or
the state of Washington must seek
employment elsewhere, and so the
miner of Iowa is brought face to face
with the effect of the democratic
proposition of free coal.
The miners well, remember how
the Wilson Bill affected their inter
ests. They were cut in all direc-
lions. The foreign coal brought to
the sea coast put men out of employ
ment and sent them to Iowa for work
in competition with our own workmen.
But free coal is by no means the
worst threat of the Iowa democratic
platform against the 1000 miners OF
this district.
A tariff for revenue only and the
decrease in American manufactures
attendant thereon would greatly de-
crease the consumption Of coal and
thus diminish the employment of min
ers. l say, with full belief that this
would be the case, because it al
ways has been the result; and The ex-
perience of our mine workers under
the Wilson Bill is recent enough to
be fresh in the memory of this i'm
portant and numerous class of toll
ers.
One of the best tests of the work
| ing of protection is the operation of
our coal mines.
In the year 1896, miners in Iowa
were employed at digging coal az
seventy-fve cents per ton in Mahas-
+, ka county, Monroe and Wapello and
other counties having similar veins
and quality of coal.
They were not fully employed, but
at the low rate Of digging lost more
than the normal or natural amount
of time for lack of market for their
output. In 1896 miners arereceiving
ninety-five cents per ton for the
same kind of work and their loss Of
time for want Of a market is almost
son. Work is steadier and wages
higher in the mining regions of the
state.
The propositiqp to allow all foreign
coal free entry d Ito the United States
and to change tin tariff to the reyen-
ue basis will GER ainly not be enthu.
siastically receive NJ by the eoak-mln.
ers of Iowa or al, b other part of the
| United States. ~
They know Ihat happened when the
Wilson Bill <feduced the duty on coal
to forty Sents a ton, and now it is
propose&to make it wholly free.
LASiS96 underground day workmen
lR&ceived $2,10 in winter for ten
| hours work; in 1906 hey receive
$2.56 for eight hours work. The min
ers now work twenty-five per cent
more days in a year and work two
hours less per day.
In 1896 coal sold at the mine for
S1.25 per ton to $1.40. In 1906 it sells
for $1.6O to S1.75.
Though miners work shorter hours
sanitary conditions have been i'm
proved, thanks to organization, bet
ter laws and better understanding
with employers; and the average OUT
put is ten per cent greater in the eight
hour day than in the old ten hours
These are gratifying results. II
needs no diagram to enable the min
| o,c 80 Jou,o 70 undarctond that If tun
millions OF tons of free duty coal are
| imported for use in the sea coast cit
les and on the railways, that tina;
much less coal will be dug in the
United States, and somebody will
again be out of a job, and it will be
the American miner who will be hit
The present congress has been one
of promise and of performance. II
has been we'll called Congress o.
Achievement" The president has
done things" and The congress has
enabled him to do them.
The Goth Congress.
In the year 1894, in the second hall
of Mr.. Cleveland's second term, the
people found that the change they hat
voted for in 1892 was something which
they did not want, and they elected
the 54th congress with an overwhelm
! ing republican majority.
1t has for many years been the mis-
fortune of the administration in power
to be confronted with an opposition
majority in the second half of presi
Dental term. This fate has often be
, fallen democratic and republican pres
| idents alike.
II Gen. Harrison, Notwithstanding hi!
successful and skillful administration
had the SD congress so strongly dem
ocratic as to render him practically
powerless to carry out his purposes.
But since the election of Mr.. McKin
; ley in 1896 the congress has been II
harmony with the administration IL
both portions of the presidential term
!, The seth congress was elected dur
ing Mr.. McKinley's first term and hat
good working majority. So also the
5Sth congress in the second half o.
the second term, when Mr.. Roosevelt
had succeeded to the presidential OF
II