Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-29

"The trouble with the miners is that
thew were set up on horseback three
years ago by the commission cppointed
by the president and they are not salts
fed now but are trying to get Off the
horse" said F. d. Underwood, presl-
dent of the Erie railroad, in an inter-
view yesterday concerning the strike
that is now impending in the anthracite
coal regions in northeastern Pennsyl-
vania.
Mr.. Underwood is spending a vaca-
ton in California and was seen at his
residence, 1904 South Orange Grove
avenue, Pasadena. He will leave today
for the north and will spend a short
time at Santa Barbara and San Fran
cisco before leaving for the east.
When questioned as to whether he
thought the miners would strike or not,
Mr.. Underwood said that he did not
care to be quoted in answering that
question but gave the impression that
it was his idea that a strike would be
called after Saturday.
Mr.. Underwood is probably as close
in touch with the strike situation as
any man outside of the leaders of the
miners, for he is president of rail-
road that has been called coal road
on account of the large amount of hard
coal that is transported over it every
year.
AS to the truth about the miners and
their conditions and as to the operation
of the mine he is probably better in
formed than any other man.
Will Stay Here
Mr.. Underwood said that the calling
of the strike would not hasten his re-
turn east. as it was not necessary for
the president of any railroad to be on
the ground at the calling of a strike
as there are officials who can look after
the best interests of the road during
such a situation.
DO you think the miners will be JUS
titled in stril1ing?" was asked.
81 most certainly do not was MS
reply. "They are now being paid every
cent that they earn, when their ability
and brains are taken into considera-
ton"
WAS the increase in wages that they
received three years ago just?"
"It was. They were not receiving
what they should. You will remember
that a sliding scale of wages was fixed
then. When coal went up they received
an advance, but when coal went down
their wages remained the same.
"The miners condition today is good
The condition of the whole country is
good. I think l am in a good position
to know, because 1 have travelled from
the Atlantic to the Pacific and from El
Paso to Portland a large number of
times. I believe that l have a right
to make these assertions because 1T
has been a part of my life to deal with
men. Our railroad company alone en-
poys $4,000.
Miners Own Homes
"I wish that the people who talk
about the miners being downtrodden
and opposed could see their homes in
Scranton and Wilkerbarre. Every man
has a neat little cottage with garden.
"Eyery man who makes the assertion
that the miners should not have to
work more than eight hours day does
not know what he is talking about
They are not working eight hours to-
day.
"John Mitchell has been assailed on
every hand, but / wish to say TINS
much for him. He is honest in his con-
victions. He is not calling strikes for
his personal benefit. The stories that
have been printed that all was WORK
ing we'll three years ago when the
strike was called is false 1t was not.
Likewise the stories that the strike was
called in midwinter is untrue. 1t was
called April and was called off in the
early fall. Could people suffer much
during that time of year for want OF
coal to keep warm by?
"There is about as much truth in
these stories as in those about John w.
Gates bluffing the people in Alabama
by wanting to gamble with them for
$40 900 a throw. The truth of the mat
ter is that they collected purse OF
that amount and told him it was for his
amusement with which to play any
kind Of game while he was their guest
Good Word for Gates
"He answered by saying: Let us
settle the whole thing by Tipping a
coin to see whether l take that S4O, OOo
or YOU take $4,000 of my money 1t
was the only gentlemanly thing to 90
under the circumstances.
"Why that man gives away more
money every year than the newspapers
who attack him make And he gives 1t
for good purposes, too, but that is
neither here nor there, only do not
like to see any man so unjustly at
tackled. .z
"The whole trouble with the miners
is that they think that President
roosevelt personally gave them the
HTND 0NEN Q