New-York tribune., 1906-04-27
MINERS NEW DEMANDS
Continued from first page.
hours shall have their wages advanced ~ per

hours shall have their wages advanced ~ per
cent
Fifth-That all other persons employed in the
collieries washertes, strippings and breakers in
Guiding contract men, shall have their wages.
allowances and rates of payment-minus the
sliding scale-advanced per cent.
PROPOSITION NO. .
That an advance equal to 10 cents ton upon
the total production of anthracite coal be added
TO the wages and earnings of all persons
ployed in the collieries washeries, strippings
and breakers, such advance 10 be added to the
wages and rates fixed in the award of the an
thracite coal strike commission; the apportion-
ment TO be on percentage basis, in such man
ner as may be determined mutually between
respective com nittees.
In formulating these two propositions we have
eliminated every feature Of our former proposals
TO which you have objected except that of
wages and in the matter of wages we have kept
in mind your oft repeated statement that TO
grant our original demands would result In ad-
vancing the cost to the consumer Of domestic
coal 81 20 ton. While we have not been able,
even by the most careful analysis, to ascertain
by what process Of reasoning you have reached
your conclusions to the alleged necessity of
an advance in cost amounting to 81 20 a ton, we
beg to assure you that have no desire neither
would We consent to become parties to any COM
pact that would increase the cost of domestic
fuel 81 20 ton
AS indicated i'm the two propositions submit
ted herein. we propose resumption of work
upon basis that would increase the labor cost
OF all coal produced by an amount not in excess
OF 10 cents a ton, and as between 90 and 20
per cent Of all coal produced is sold as pre-
pared sizes the increase In the labor cost OF
domestic fuel would not exceed Is cents a ton
In passing judgment upon these proposals. we
request that you give consideration TO the con-
ditiOnS existing in the anthracite fields
Years ago ii not uncommon for boys of
twelve. ten and even eight years of age 10 be
employed in the breakers and to tend doors in
the mines AS a result of Legislative enactment
no boy may now be employed in the breaker
who is less than fourteen or in the mine who is
less than sixteen years of age 1t follows as
matter OF common Justice that the wage paid to
a ten-year-old boy would be totally Inadequate
and unfair when paid 10 boy of fourteen or
sixteen years of age And il will not be sert-
ously contended that any man who receives
less than 81 a day can support and educate his
family in a manner at all cOnfOrmable TO Ameri-
can Standards especially in the mining indus
try where men are not given the opportunity
TO work more than DO days in any one year
And yet there are many thousands or boys VINO
receive from 90 10 go cents a day, and thou
sands upon thousands Of men with famines 10
support who receive between 81 lf ana 81 40 a
day
In considering the advance proposed tor con,
tract workers we request that you keep IN mind
the great hazard incident TO their eL-ployment
and the skill and experience required by this
class OF labor In the year 1905 GA rataI accl-
dents and more than 1900 non-fatal accidents
occurred in the anthracite mines. or the larger
proportion OF these accidents contract miners
and their laborers were victims; and 1919 was
not an exceptional year For decades these ter
rible conditions have existed Indeed the whole
region is filled with widows and orphans. win
men manned or sightless; the hospitals anu
charitable institutions overtaxed with shs
victims Of mine aocidentA The support anu