Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 November 1902 — DOWN ON THE UNION [ARTICLE]

DOWN ON THE UNION

Miners’ Organii’.tion Is a Thorn in Sides of the Coal Barons. MORE REPLIES MADE PUBLIC Presidents Truesdale, Olyphant and Fowler Give Their Views to Strike Commission. Washington. Nov. 12. - -The reply for tip- Delaware -and' Laclitwanna company to President Mitchell's statement to the e' tliraelte coal strike commission has Wen made public. It is. signed by \v’. H l’ntcsulale, president Df the c< ■ . r. !-.<> pays that tim company :■ .vim :'A,.;:i.v-iive collierioa and employes 12,:i*,i) workmen In this I branch oi its business. Mr. Trues- | dale, like Mr. Baer, objects to making Lllit' recognition..of U>■ union on..- of the | issues to be considered by the commission,' saying that in the'pro posit ion made by the company for arbitration one of the express 'editions was that “the Hr.dings dTIUc < ounhissdun should govern the conditions of employment j between it and its employes.” He gilds: "This company unequivocally asserts that it will under no condition recognize or enter into any agreement with the association known as the United Mine Workers of America or any branch thereof. Nor will it permit said association or its officers to dictate the terms arm conditions under which it shall conduct its busness.”

Eighty l*er Cent. Opposed Strike. Referring to the recent strike, Mr. Truesdale says that he is reliably Informed that 80 per cent, of its employes were opposed to the strike, but were forced to enter upon it by a majority vote of the mine workers in their fields. Mr. Truesdale follows closely the lines of Mr. Baer’s argument as to the dissimilarity between the work in the anthracite mines and that in bituminous mines. He declares that it is impossible to adopt a uniform rate to be paid to the miner, for a unit of coal mined at all mines. The declaration is also made that tho anthracite miners as a rule do not work as many hours a day as do the bituminous miners, and the opinion is advanced that if the wages of the are thracite miners had been less than that of other working men they would have lound employment elsewhere, which they did not do. He says that: “Prior to the introduction of agitators and mischief-makers the anthracite workers were on an average as properous, comfortable and contented as any body of workers in similar emplyment in this country.” The wages, it is added, are such that frugal employes have saved a substantial amount every year. Reply of President Olyphant. President Olyphant of the Delaware and Hudson company, in his reply, declares that the wages paid by his company are just and adequate. 110 also says that “those of its employes who perform contract or piece work as n matter of their own volition work only about six hours a day and take numerous holidays, without the consent or approval of this resitondent, | and their earnings, by hours of actual j work are, tuerefore, much higher than those in any similar employment” President Olyphant also takes exception to the proposition to arbitrate' the question of the recognition of the miners' union. This position is placed on the ground that the organization ; seeks to control the entire fuel supply of the country: that as the union |ls unincorporated it is Incapable of 1 making a binding contract, and that the association has shown Its Irtnbllj ity to control its own members. He

says his company has no desire to discriminate against members of the union. | Ft* Their Ow n Hours of Labor. '* President T. P. Fowler speaks for the Scranton company and the Elk Ilill Coal and Iron company, lie mssorts that If the average wage earned by the anthracite piece workers is lose than that paid to workers in other employment It is because "they tlx their own hours of labor and the amount of their earnings without any regard to the interests or wishes of their employers and in total disregard of the earnings and welfare of every other class of employes.” lie declares that the men in the mines do not wot k to exceed four or live hours a day. All other charges made by Mr. Mitchell are combatted and on the question of miners’ unions Mr. Fowler says: “We deny the agreements between employers and employes through workingmen's organizations are hen»dal and successful in the bituminous coal fields or elsewhere, ami assert that any such agreement as a method of regulating production would be and Is Injurious to the host Interests of the public