The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1913-07-30
PRESIDENT STEWART OF THE
MINE WORKERS SHOWS UP
THE MINE OPERATORS
MEN GET ONLY 78 CENTS A TON
Who Gets the Other $500 or $7.oo2-
Miners Leader Says Time Is Ripe
For a Rigid investigation
of Conditions.


Workers OF America, but it would
seem to be hard question for a man
who gets IS cents ton to answer.
However, we have given the matter
close study, for it is to our interest
to turn out coal as Cheaply as pos
sible.
Here is what l learned regarding
the selling policy Of the Coal Mine
Owners; they also own what is called
distributing agency, then they own
their wholesale agencies and as gen
eral rule they own the retail agency
where the consumer buys his coal.
1T is next to impossible for the
consumer to get coal until he has paid
each one of these corporations a gem
erous profit. The profit made by these
different corporations goes to the
owners and the owners are the same
people who own the mines, so you see
the consumer pays a very generous
profit three times to the Mine Owner
before he gets the coal.
The mine worker does not partici-
pate in this apparent hold-up. The
owner of the mine doles out pittance
Of rs cents per ton or an average Of
$l6S per day to the Mine Worker,
and therefore, the mine worker is not
responsible for the $3.50 or $500 per
ton charged for coal.
The present high price of coal
should receive a searching ipvestiga-
ton before any legislation is passed
If it is the mine workers fault that
the consumer pays $3.50 and $500 per
ton for coal then the $1.6S per day
should be cut. But | don't see how, in
the name of Christianity, any legisla-
ture or anyone else can expect man
who takes the chances with his life
that the mine worker takes should be
asked to work for less than $l.6S per
day.
Section IS is not a solution OF the
problem. If it was then the Coal Mine
Owners would ont be in favor of it..
Section 18 should be repealed and
every voter who wants it repealed
SUOulu NOlt Ol DldIS NSu'o'iph
Al, which will be second on the ballot
on August fifth. say every voter
should vote YES, because of the mere
fact that the coal owners are on the
opposite side.
"If it is a good law for the Mine
Workers why did not some of the pow
erful interests put It into effect in
their mines? Then If it worked salts
factorily let it be applied to other
mines.
How many farmers would submit
to dictation in the kind of crops they
should raise and the kind of imple-
ments they should use in growing and
gathering those crops? This Section
Is which we seek to repeal has the
same effect on the mine workers,
"It is against all American prin-
ciples to outline the duties of work
ingman without consulting him. When
this law was hustled through the last
hour of the Legislative session and
tackled on to a merltorious piece of
legislation it practically nullitied the
whole proposition. If the majority OF
voters vote Yes on State Question
n. Oklahoma will have good mining
law. Some splendid legislation is IL
corporated under that law, but Section
Is of the law must be repealed to
make the law effective.
Miners cannot mine coal and make
a living wage unless Section Is is re-
pealed. If that section is allowed to
go into effect it will drive every mine
worker out of the state and instead
ot the people of Oklahoma enjoying
the present price of coal which Is
already too high, they will be forced
t. pav additional prices for coal hauled
into Oklahoma from outside states"
Section IS was written by the Coal
Barons' lobby and it was couched in
technical phrases to deceive and mis-
lead the honest Legislators who wanted
the Mine Workers to receive justice.
"To explain its full import would
require a book on Mines and Mining,
l. is obvious that We cannot afford to
mt such a book into the hands or
every conscientious voter. We are
therefore pleading with them to ac-
cent our word, offered in a simple
faith in our brother that it Will be
accepted. We pledge YOU that we can
not work under the provisions OF Sec
tion IS and We ask you to help us
repeal it by voting YES on State
Question A..
III YOU do this YOU will be lifting a
tremendous burden from already over
laden shoulders.
ITO all those consumers who have
a different opinion we hold no malice.
To those who vote YES we extend
our most heartfelt thanks
Wrote His Leaders" at Home
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