The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-05-03
MAKE a PUZZLE
STATEMENT TO AVOID MIS-
:;NDERsTANpING OF The
SITUATION
q NEWSYoRK, May 3.-The following
statement has been authorized on be
.l,alf ~ the Anthracite Coal Operators:

j i,alf or the Anthracite Coal Operators:
Z In order that there may be no mis-:
understanding of the situation which
has led up to the convention Of miners
sat:Scranton, itsseems wise TO cal pub
: lie attention to a. few facts
IL the summer of 1905, the leaders
of the United Mine Workers found
their Organization rapidly dwfal:ins.
Harins obtained large wage in.
increase, as a result OF the arbitration
award OF the commission appointed by
President Roosevelt in 1902, the men
apparently saw no reason for contin
ufns 10 pay their Union dues On June
II 1906, the total Union membership
was 3s.s1o. out of some 10000 en-
pioyes.
President Mitchell at this time,
therefore. started on stumpinS tour,
speaking several times a day for three
months. The result was that at the
end Of November the total Union mem
J hcrship had been increased TO So.4S7.
The spirit which animated this cam
paipning. and the motive which appa-
rens1y Influenced the large gain Of
membership. may be gathered from
IKE following quotations from Mr..
alitchelTs speeches:
Eat no time within the past thirty
years have the wage earnings of the
miners been as fair as they are now.
is true that some are earning
lower wages now than they had then.
z but the average wage is higher now
than what It was And when say
tnat the wages are high. I do not by
any means mean that am satisfied,
and furthermore do not want you
to be satisfied with what you get. 1t
lis more and more all the time. If
YOU were to get an increase of TWEEN
4 ty:dre per cent. in your wage earn
ings tomorrow, IHwould still be ask
ing for more AID again. IF 1 had
= guaranty that presnt wages and
con li4ions would be continued, would
not pes satisfied. I would st1n aSltate
for more wages, shorter hours and i'm
proved conditions" Still further, I
favor agitatins for more wages. and II
: the Inen receive more pay next year,
Il wonld want still more the year FOL.
Slowing.'''ss
Backed by the results of the cam
paign. and disregardinS the fact that
the Anthracite Commission had set
tied the fundamental principles which
should govern the relations between
the operators and their employees. the
miners Representative came forward.
on March 1st, vita an extraordinary
list of new demands. The operators
took the position which they have con
sfstently maintained since. that on all
questions which had been definitely
settled by, the Coal Commission its
findings should be continued.
Now began the playing Of one in
dusuy against another. With the
suggestion that a strike might be
called in the anthracite fields. Mr..
Mitchell went to Indianapolis on
Marcn. 10 and demanded a large in.
crease from the bjtuminous operators.
An anthracite strike would of course.
aid il the sale of soft coal at high
prices. The operators refused the de-
paands AS indicating the Union
: frame Oh mlnC, IN Tie SodISS " NAiS
Miners Convention, which had the
matter in charge, Delegate w D.
Ryan, Of Illinois. one OF the Union
headers, said Gas reported in the Uni
tied Mine Workers Journal Of April
81.
II would rather go out tomorrow
and fight any kind Of a.fsht than to
: become party TO placing you in a
position where you would have to ar
Eiuate- never did believe very
much in arbitration. and don't want
to arbltrate unless know am going
to win. don't want your affairs
to get into the hands OF commits
sion that will not vefieve any more Of
your complaints than your brothers
IN the anthracite field We're relieved
of, and I say that with all due re-
spect to those who handled the an
.thrac:tc affairs. While they did very
wei, I feel that there were many
things that should have been righted.
and believe VIII be rishted in the
futare-'
50 Failing with the bituminous opera
tors, Mr. Mitchell now made a further
eFortto obtain his wants from the an
thracite operators Seeing that the
operators could not grant his de-
=,uan6s he asked to have the wlole