Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-26
AMEND ERDMAN ACT
Legislation Could Have Avert
ed Shut down of Mines.
LONG STRIKE NOT LIKELY
Four Weeks Suspension Will Cost
$4,000, 900.
TROUBLE NOT APPREHENDED
Operators Apparently Not Engaging
Strike-Breakers Nor Preparing
for Determined Struggle.
LONG STRIKE NOT LIKELY
TROUBLE NOT APPREHENDED

special From Star Correspondent.
SCRANTON, Pa, March 25, 1912
Although there is a very general agree
ment here that there will be some sort of
shutdown Of the mines on the LIST Of
April week from today. no one is
willing to predict positively that there
will be no trouble Scarcely anybody
looks for very long strike, or suspen-
sion and few think that the operators,
who are keeping their plans closely to
themselves, will try to work the collieries
with non-union labor on a general scale.
But here and there. 1t is feared, there will
De attempts to mine coal, and they are
almost certain to be attended with dis
order. It Is just on that account that
the Scranton people who are In close
touch with the situation are unwilling to
say that this will be a peaceful strike.
They know the temper Of the men when
1t is ruff1ed by a sense of grievance.
They may want a few weeks holiday
VIII. perhaps. welcome it as a rule-but
they VIII resent keenly any suggestion Of
mine operation without them.
Unwinding Red Tape.
When once the strike spirit. dominant
in this region for SO long, has been arous-
ed 1t may carry to extremes. The saving
grace of the matter Is that the operators
are doubtless willing at this time to give
the men what they want-an Increased
wage scale-and that the granting is to
be chiefly question of how the red tape
OF negotiation will be unwound. II the
strike 10 absolute during the period of
really useless maneuvering and bargain
ing, with conferences and minere' con-
Vention and the exchange of propositions
that seem inevitable before renewal of
contract can be effected-the union must
maintain its own dignity of position,
while the operators must not appear too
eager-there will probably be no more
than the superficial disorder Of idle men.
AS far as can be learned. no strike break
ers have been hired. AS soon as the word
passed that the miners were going out
If they did not get all of their nine de-
mands the district was canvassed by the
representatives Of detective agencies,
trying to get contracts to supply nom
union labor in case of a walk-out. But 1
am told that they have done no business.
Probably II any attempt Is made to run
the mines 1t will be with non-union men
from right around here. men without
funds to go on with the struggle, at outs
with the organization.
Contrast With Ten Years Ago.
Ten years ago there was no lack of
labor supply here, but there was q lack
of courage. Yet good many men
'scabbed" who were on the union lists,
mostly foreigners They pretended to be
going to Europe, with their boxes labeled
for some steamer. and under the cover of
night were driven into the stockades OF
the working mines: There are we'll au-
thenticated cases of this sort Of thing.
This strike, however. will probably not
last long enough to bring about the
hunger pinch that makes for trouble.
Furthermore, the companies are not ir-
ritating the men In advance by making
preparations to carry on protracted
fight There is no Ostentatfous building
Of barbed wire-capped high fences or
stockades about mine shafts and break
ers and company boarding houses, as in
former years. No sign appears on the
surface that the employers expect any
day morning. There really is no good
reason why there should be any check
Of industry on that day. The contract
year expires then. to be sure. and the
asked for its amendment before renewal.
but the moral obligation to go on work
ing remains as definite as ever. and the
miners could just as well keep cutting
coaal while the two sides were Settlng TO-
gether on a new basis.
Cost Of Four Weeks Suspension.
How much better this would be than
tho crude process Of refusing to work
until something definite has been agreed
upon every business man in town like
Scranton distinctly recognizes. There are
about 10000 workers in the anthracite
| field. earning on an average, say. $l2N
| a week. This Is a total wage OF $2.5oo.-
600 every seven days. In the course then.
OF four weeks suspension. Whicn Is es,i-
mated as the shortest period of the strike
compatible with the usual traditions OF
union and company negotiation, there
will be lost to trade In these Few nara
coal counties Of Pennsylvania no less
to be recovered. AS far as business Is
concerned 1t Is lost forever. the com
| panies save it. but at the same time they
lose trade. They may sell some OF al
creased prices and so reap an extra divi,
dend. but they can never sell the coal
| that is not mined. On the basis OF an
average annual output OF 6OooO.0o0 tons
of anthracite coal mined for the genera
market-not counting the 100000 addi-
tional tons consumed in the mine WORKS
| for power and in the coal fields Tor ouS-
ness and domestic uses-this means q
market loss in four weeks OF ABOUT
4.815OOO tons. which at an average price
OF $3.50 a ton at tidewater-the basic
price in the sliding scale computation-
! works out q loss in marketable common
ity worth. roughly, SIC. 16OOO
The public has meanwhile paid perhaps
SIC, OOO,O GOO bonus for coal bought IN q
panic, under strike conditions, TOT coa1
from the reserve piles hidden away IN the
hills of New York. New Jersey and Penn
sylvania This brings the balance ap-
proximately even. The miners lose about
$40, 900 in wages during q ioureWeeA
strike, the operators lose about $1OOOo.-
600 net in lost transactions, and the pub
lie has paid about 100000 IN excess
charges
Need of a Modus 0perandi.
A tharty-mtlfion-dollar bill for tho read
justment Of the working scale between
the operators and the miners! And all be-
cause there is no effective means of keep