Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1906-04-02
SAY DEMANDS ARE ABSURD.
WHAT PETER ROBERTS SAYS
OF THE COAL STRIKE.
No Excuse For Strike Under The
Existing Conditions of
Contentment
THE MINERS ARE PROSPEROUS
AND HAPPY.

New York, April 2--In order "a
ascertain for publication the feelings
Of men favorable to the miners cause,
q representative of the anthracite
coal,operetors visited the Rev Peter
Roberts at his home in Mahoney
/ City, Pa. MI. Roberts is the best
known independent authority on the
! coal situation in this county.
His two books, 1.-THE Anthracite
Coal Industry" and "Anthracite Coal
/ Communities are the most accurate
! treatises on these subjects which have
been written. Before the Anthracite
Goal Commission in 1902 Mr. Roberts
| appeared as witness on behalf of
! the miners. He lives among the
| workers, breaches to them, and SYM
pathizes with them. This is the way
Mr.. Roberts sizes up the present stu
aion:
i do not believe that a majority of
the mine workers want a strike. IL is
my opinion, too, that a mere majority
should not decide so serious a ques-
tion. If the individual opinions of
the mine workers were to settle the
ques tion at this time there would not
De a strike. While they are desirous
of higher wages and one hour per day
less OF work-desires which are quite
natural-they prefer to work on under
the present agreement rather than go
on strike.
The demands of thegmin iners are alb
surd. l am surprised that the opera
tors have not made more capital out
of { hat ridiculous list of demands for
uniform wages for l46 different classes
of labor, have asked myself often
what they mean by presenting such an
absurd lot OF details 1t shows plain
lY as Mitchell admitted before the
Arbitration Commission that he does
not know the anthracite region. 1t
also shows that he cannot manage The
anthracite men, who are, indeed,
difficult lot to control The demands
were complied by men who know the
region, but the trouble is that these
men do not know all tue fields or the
conditions that prevail in them. The
mems organizers are miners, or have
been, and they are in touch with the
men, but the latter do not want the
same things, or they want them in a
different way.
"Those who formulated the demands
could not have put every little item,
as they did, into demand for in.
creased wages. | am not speaking of
the demand for au eight-hour day.
dul III ldNOI III btldl. MICHGllI mas
promised it to the men and he will do
his utmost to get it 1t is that
lengthy, absurd list / have in mind
1t shows that even the men who rule
the miners have much to learn of the
region. The trouble is that Fahy.
who is in command in Schuylkill does
1ot know the Wyoming region
Nichols knows the Wyoming and
does not know the Scbuylkill field,
while Dettrey has much to learn about
both the Wyoming and Sobuylkill
fields.
Conditions in the region are very
prosperous indeed; the last three
years have been the most prosperous
IN the history of the Authracits coal
fields. In that period not a single re-
gion in Pennsylvania or anywhere else
mas been as thriving as the Anthra-
1ite region. Not even in the years
nf the Civil War-and there are many
tales of high wages in that time was
the mining population so we'll off as
il has been in the last three years in
this region This prosperity is easily
accounted for. Since the coming of
Mitchell to the Anthracite camp he
has increased wages in the Schuylkill
iield between 81 and 81 per cent, and
in other fields fraction over 20 per
sent, and he has reduced the hours of
labor from 10 To hours. This shows
lhat Mitchell has done we'll by the
men. Tile men are prosperous and
happy now, aud there is NO excuse for
& strike