The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-01-12
Accepts Challenge, but Not for
"Laurels."

Accepts Challenge, but Not for
! "Laurels."
Editor, Times: In your issue OF jar
,, 5. ] notice that Mr.. lronside conclude
his communication of said date b,
challenging me to a public discussion o
matters pertaining to labor's recent I'll
tanic struggle against capital" espe
cially in the coal region, which chal
lenge / accept, not as he suggests, ass;
. mortal combat" for 'the laurel wreath,
as have neither time nor taste for sucl
sports, especially at this time Of un
necessary industrial disturbances ant
consequent increasing costs of living.
| accept the challenge solely becaus,
| am deeply conscious that law and or
der and the sacred rights OF every IN
dividual. guaranteed to him by the
Declaration OF American Independence
and her constitution, must assert them.
selves against the tyrannical domino
ton of radical leaders of organized la
Dor, fostering strikes, riots and even
bloodshed For when in all American
| history did there exist another auto.
cratic power that usurped the right to
keep satisfied laborers from working
when, whore and for whom they
pleased, to provide daily bread for their
| families
Yes, | accept said challenge because |
do not believe that liberty loving Amer
leans are obliged to have Samuel Com
pers dictate to the government at
| HI pnt, Aa{ Ia. ,ho h,n
enact, or in the arbitrary ''class legis-
lation" that he favors, or in his recent
bitter denunciation of the press, the
courts and the state and federal gov
ernments for their noble defense of law
and order and the protection OF Amer.
lean industries against murderous as
saults of an autocracy that is, if pos
sible, a greater menace to the industrial
peace and welfare OF America than was
that of the kaiser's late government in
Germany to the peace of Europe.
Finally, | accept the challenge of Mr..
lronside because | believe ii is now the
opportune time for making law and
order and the sacred rights OF all men,
upon which our republic was founded,
the paramount issue in the coming ma
PittAioii. Us A DttitNt lfft
would follow Massachusetts in her YER
diet upon that issue, regardless of for
mer party ties, and because ] am utter.
~ opposed to the demand OF labor for
a six-hour work day as it would great.
ly augment the number of the worlds
starving millions.
Leaving all else to the time of public
discussion. | conclude this BY giving a
very small part of list of coal miners
wages from a large number that has
been furnished me, including three diff.
ferent mines~in my native West Nir-
ginia, for the month beginning Sept. Is
and ending Oct. Is. These are not the !
figures in the exceptional cases" as
given for one days labor |
where exceptional endurance was ex,
erted to be followed by rest the next \
day, but these miners worked the full !
six working days in each week for the
month, and their working more than
eight hours per day at the same price
per hour accounted for their credit for
more work days than there were work.
ing days in the month.
Here are few of the long lists I
have in hand, giving the total number
IF days each man worked in that month |
md the total months wages and daily
lyeraee of each man, as follows:
Mine No. | machine miners Henry
Bowels, 20 days. S356.5s per month.
1921 average per day. n. Rob
nson, twenty mine days. $35i.2S per
month. Sl2.22 average per day. 7. J.
,panon, 20 days, S340.66 per month,
NJ. rs average per day. Fred Loprest,
70 days, Sl02.30 per month, SG.4l aver
we per day. David Sherwood, 30 days,
'373.s3 per month, Stag average per
lay.
Mine No. 2, pick miners-C. c. Coop
r, 81 days. $334.S7 per month, Sl0.S0
verage per day. Harry Stone. 80 days,
2S5.70 per month. $3.50 average per
ay. Thorn Shields, 30 DAYS. S3J4.44
er month, sllsl average per day.
sam Morosco, 30 days, S20465 per
month. Sll.42 average per day.
From the above il will be seen that
he average daily wage of the nine min
rs above named for a months contin-
Gus work is slI06. and il cludes the
lwest wage received by anyone in the
ntire list of the three mines I have at
ana, tNdl OF fleu IOpTeSts an tNtep-
ionally poor miner, and his average
er day was S6.4l before the recent in
rease in miners wages of IL per cent.
| have selected a full months pay
oll because il utterly refutes the state
tents that miners are not allowed to
ork more than three or four days per
eek to keep up the price of coal, and
4 the readers of The Times know
no. most of all, are responsible for
he high cost of coal and Of living in
sneral.
Thanking the Barre Daily Times for
he generous space il has given for
atements solely designed for the pub
C good, and not for any expectant
aurel wreath submit their value
, the Judgment of the public. fully
,nscious that if '-lsurcls- were worthy
any consideration. quite enough have
ready been strcwn al the writer's
ct BY intelligent readers Of The
lines, both Of Barre City labor union
Is and of many in surrounding towns
J.. r. Fortney.