New-York tribune., 1916-02-21
,.srators and Miners, In
', Yielding, TO Discuss
Terms in MCAlpin.
vfN. IN PLEA, ASK
A CHANCE TO LIVE
,.,. Demands or Huge Profits
!, ,oH Years-Employers May
Give 5 Per Cent Raise.

,.a,sei,e coal miners and nine
..,,o-s will open st the MeAlpin
..;s afternoon q wage conference
-, /. 70 be fought out exclusively on
..-s,,s still being prepared by eN-
-, .., yeprpesen;inr both sides. II state
80. made by both sides are TO be
- the conference can result in
80 but a deadlock, since each has
.s.,.s'c announced that it will con-
q, 'ss,..-sss-tstives Of che miners last
e-rounced that they would enter
.'s,ys meeting OF the unoerstanolns
y. y. eieht-hour day and recognition
u 80 union-the most important de-
- -ade By the minerS-sre funda-
- nrineiples that ought not even
!. ,ss-,srd discussion before being ac-
- bv the mine operators
"6f-,r..ors who permitted their plans
Lowe known net this with the
...,-sr. that the union positively
- rot be recognized. They refused
!. ~ .o,s.6er such o demand. they said,
80 m do 80 would demand that
.-rlovers deduct union dues from the
~ of their men. mus forcing nom
..,r men into the organization.
r., there is q hope Of settlement
= .be lines Of an increased pay con
...'s7 bv the operators. Although
..-,..s,tst;ves cf the operators would
y eze;ally admit such 20 be the case.
(. vss ssid yesterday thst they might
!. s.v;lFrr 70 sgree 20 q 8 per cent wage
crease. but nothing else.
jet, P. White. president or the
r-f,ss Nine Workers Of America. Is
'.,si.es with writing the document set
,,r forth the views OF the miners.
Miners Ask Chance TO Live.
The statement says:
This is year OF prosperity. Every
-,sr is year o. prosperity for the
r;kucite mine operators. The miners
~ asking only little OF IL as their
,,srs. They sre asking u. not that they
-tr become rich they have no hope
& hat II the demands are granted
.,sy viii still be getting less than al
-,s. sry one who reGds this statement,
ssis working harder and taking more
SIS than mosts OF you. They would
.srs mighty little left after paying
isir bills for motion picture shows, or
lcsr bonnets. or books. or pictures.
Z I-y Of the other things that make
..rsr beings something more than
xis;s o. burden.
Alley people are asking is q chance
2 i've in decency. IN comfort and Sc
.s.:y. They want enough 20 buy milk
q their babies and give them fair
ar. in life. They want enough 70 keep
is-sslves out O. ne poorhouse IN
islr old age They don't want always
be IN debt 20 the butcher and the
rpcer. They don't want their wives 70
. around badly dressed and over
'wssd from keeping a house full OF
xEr3ers.
The anthracite industry is enor-
-cssly profitable. The railroads that
III and control the mines have paid
q dividends on heavily watered stock.
sssdes, they have laid up huge sur
tgsss. In 1918 the Reading earned
ISL per cent on its common stock
TER the payment OF al expenses. The
-itrsl Of New Jersey paid 26.13 per
s,., the Lehigh Valley 1890 per cent,
y Laekswanna % per cent, and the
jszwsre & Hudson 1884 per cent.
This was ID the bad year Of 1913,
cere the present prosperity began.
e, these roads are enormously over
1fislized. After paying such huge
i'lis the roads are able 10 pile up
-Tluses OF Sl00.O10.O00. The Lehign
leHe had . surplus Of S25.000,000 in
IN 1912 less than nine cents a ton
i,rsase was added 90 the total cost OF
aeoi. The consumer paid % cents a
'os increase, according 20 the United
Yates Bureau Of Statistics. ! don't be-
eve ihs; the operating companies are
'lAng 70 take advantage Of their mo-
spoly either 20 deny the just claims
1 the men or 70 gouge the public after
lsniing them.