New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-05-07
THE MINE OWNERS POINT OF VIEW
He Is Declared To Be Doing All He Can
to Safeguard Lives.

To the Editor OF The Tribune
Sir: In very strongly worded editorial
condemning the attitude OF the Rookie
feller interests in the Colorado tragedy
you make the following statement:
And public sympathy is likely TO be
with the strikers because they were tn
victims OF the final act OF ssyagery az
Ludlow and because every one knows
how cheaply their lives are generally held
by the mine owning corporations
l will not attempt to question the gen
eral sentiment Of your editorial. When
the details OF the deplorabe conflict
other than the findings OF a coroners
jury-are investigated and published yoIr
condemnation OF tho Rockefellers may be
justi1ed-and 1t may not What / do
question is this: What basis have you
for launching such gross charge OF
inhumanity against those In charge OF
the coal industry as whole?
Coal mining is a perilous occupation.
The death rate from accidents Is neces-
sarily high The class OF labor employed
Is virlle and aggressive. accustomed 10
face death every day. In cases OF dis
pute they do not always respect property.
and the gentlest and most Christian mine
owners there are some) will defend their
property IL IL is threatened with destruc'
ton This has unfortunately brought
bloodshed to the mining districts more
than once in the past What would you
yourself do If a mob threatened your
building with the torch?
A mine owner values a human life as
dearly as any civilized man. and more
than most. l suspect, because the trag-
edy OF the death OF the breadwinner -
so often brought home to MIN. In cases Of
disasters it is the officials who are frst
TO risk their lives in rescue work. With
out state or government aid they are do
ing what they can TO protect life. SAFE
ty first" is the slogan in a thousand
mines The United States Steel Corpora
ton employs a boss for every twelve
coal miners, and their safety is his hrst
duty. Under the law they might employ
one boss for three hundred men. The rest
of US are doing all we can with more Inn
tied means.
II is hard for the public 10 see WIZ
the miners demands should not always
be granted. The danger OF his toll makes
strong public appeal. The coal baron
is cordially hated AS a matter OF fact
/ has the public ever been given the figures
OF the last census report for the year
1909 which showed officially that the net
operating profit on the one billion dollars
invested in coal mines in the United states
was "a. per cent, with no charges for
interest and depreciation?
Tell the coal operators how 20 increase
wages when they cannot earn the inter
est on their investments. Tell them how
to borrow money 10 make their mines
safer when the mining laws OF a COM
peting state are lax and any increase IN
the cost Of coal will open their markets
10 their neighbors Every state makes ITS
mining laws as IL sees NJ. The laws OF
some Southern and Western states are
a farce. and competing states must re-
main lax or their operators will be bank
rupted. We have the United States b.
reau Of Mines. Use the influence OF your
columns TO put the control OF mining mt
its capable hands instead OF using them
TO further stir up class hatred. Use them
to take away the regulation OF mininS
from the individual states and put every
operation under uniform federal reguis'
tons. as they do in England. IL wouia
save thousand lives a year. Ard the
mine owning corporations who hold lives
50 cheaply" will be the FIRST to rejoice
c. L. WATKINS.
New York. May & 1914