Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1910-06-30

in the north an advantage of 25 per
cent more lump coal than what he is
paying for at that rate, so that for
every three cents that is paid in the
rest of the state, where there is actual
ly..60 and 40 per cent. difference in the
lump coal and screenings, the operator
in the north should pay four and a
fraction cents. And, because of their
being able TO manipulate the method
Of applying the advance in the past
and only paying the same as the opera
tors who have so per cent lump coal,
it has continually been giving them
that much of an advantage.
''The miners in the northern coal
fields only produce about two and one
half tons per day per man, so that the
advance on the three-cent basis would
only make him about seven cents per
day. In the south the miner produces
from six to eight tons per day, which
would mean, ON the same basis, an
increase of more than double for him
than the miner in the north.
'The mines in the north can we'll
afford to pay, and the miners, by all
means, are entitled to every demand
they are making. With regard to the
other statements n--which they accuse
us of violating the hold-over agree
ment when we pull off the engineers,
firemen and mule feeders: We gave
them twelve hours so that they might
take the mules out of the mines, and
that holdover agreement was only in
tended to apply where negotiations for
making joint contract were going on
after the expiration of previous
agreement and was never intended to
apply..in such cases as this where nego-
tiations were broken off and we are
out on strike.
Operators in this state have signed
the contract for two years and %, 900
of our men are at work under them
hence to ask for a modification of our
proposed agreement means that we are
asking for a reduction of wages for
these 25, men These operators
having signed up proves conclusively
that the operators in Illinois can pay
the demands we are making and grant
the conditions we are asking and still
operate on paying basis
''As to the Manufacturers Associa-
tion and the Citizens Alliance joining
in with them, that ought to take the
last vestage of responsibility from
them and their position These are
the people to whom the operators are
selling coal at from so cents to 81. %
per ton, while at the same time they |
are charging their own miners and
other working men and small business
men, from $1.75 to So. 90 per ton. The
miners have done everything within
their power to avoid this conflict. We
spent four months in negotiations try
ing to reach an agreement. We con-
ceded, in large number of instances
conditions which we knew were un
fair to us, in order to reach an agree
ent. We know we are absolutely |
right in the position we have taken.
On these questions practically every |
miner in the state is a unit, and not
withstanding the efforts of the secret
service men, spoilers and spies, who
are under cover, trying to create dis
sension and division in our ranks, they |
are all standing firm. We have enough |
in our treasury, with the 10 per
cent. assessment on those who are |
working to feed those actually in
need. The men who can get along |
without assistance are refusing to ac-
cept it, saving it all for those who are
in actual want, and those who are &C
cepting it are buying only the necessi
ties of life. Everybody is standing
shoulder to shoulder in a determined |
effort to win this struggle, Notwith-
standing the fact that the operators
are using every influence at their COM
mand to induce the retail merchants
to refuse credit to any of our members,
in other words, to starve us into sub
everybody is cheerful and the
are exceedingly bright for
our success.