Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1910-10-07

ty thousand men who have been
out Of employment, most of the
time, for over five months, have
returned to work. An agreement
between operators and miners has
been reached which is apparent
" satisfactory. The miners claim
a great victory. The operators
are satisfied and are preparing to
make the public pay all the cost
Of the strike. The miners have
gained an increase in wages of 3
cents a ton on blasted coal, and
cents ton on picked coal. This
amounts to an average increase
Of twenty-five cents per day on
wages, and this is practically the
price the miners have been con
tending for. But, this is a small
victory in comparison with some
/ o. the terms of agreement. The
agreement to refer all future diff
ficultieS to arbitration is Of very
great Importance. 1t is a great
step in advance. Also the fixing
Of a penalty for continuing a
strike, applicable to both miner
and operator, is another impor-
tant step.
Notwithstanding the victories,
from the standpoint of the admin
iStratiOn of justice by self-gOvern.
ing people, the strike was a use
less and wasteful affair. 1t
brings us back to the old PROPOSE
ton that the contention and the
strife between organized labor on
one hand and organized capital
on the other is a public matter,
and it is the duty of all citizens
working through government and
law to assume the responsibility
OF every such contention and to
provide ways and means to set
tie it. As a result of this strike,
contractors have paid ten to fiji
teen cents a ton extra on all con-
tracts made since April 1St. This
affected at least 2OO,OOO,OOO tons
of coal. Cash prices since the be-
ginning of strike have advanc-
ed an average of fOrty-five cents
per ton over this contract price
and these prices have affected at
least five million tons. For six
weeks prior to this strike on ac-
count Of its threatening aspects.
coal sold at a dollar a ton over
and above contract prices. Con-
Sumers have already paid a mil
Ion dollars prior to the strike,
twenty million dollars in increas-
ed prices on contract coal, two
:. million, five hundred thousand
, dollars on cash coal, all since the
first of April.
| Roughly estimated already the
: strike has cost consumers twenty.
three million, five hundred thop'
! sand dollars. Since the strike
has been settled prices have gone
5 up twenty-five cents per ton IL
: order to cover the loss in the in
= crease in wages, and the losses OF
e cessation of operation Of mines
Before the year is out the cost 0.
4 this strike to the consumer will b
/ Swelled to at least one hundret
r million dollars. This burden es
a pecially does not fall upon tn,
: operators, for they will get thei
), money back, nor on the miners
e because their consumption of Goa
n is comparatively small, but upOl
h the public. the innocent by-stand
ers, the American people. AM
o the American people, in one SensC
d deserve this, because they faile,
/ to exercise the opportunities CIV
It en- them by self-gtvernment t
.e put such laws in force as will PR
vent the occurrence Of such IN
fortunate and expensive affair
as strikes. The loss in wages t
the thirty thousand miners l
5 five months was not less tina
S. twelve million five hundred thou