Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 September 1906 — MINERS WANT COAL MINES. [ARTICLE]

MINERS WANT COAL MINES.

Socialists Planning; for the Control of the Anthraeite Industry. Although the general public is giving little attention, to the prospect, there is, in tlie anthracite coal regions of Pennsylvania, a well-defined Socialistic movement for obtaining public control of the great industry of anthracite coal mining, the output of which is more valuable than that of the gold produced by the entire world. •Socialists throughout the region are now organized as they have never been before, and are directing their efforts toward t-keorganiza-titm of tlio J min& workers, who, being most vitally interested in the plan, can control by the vote they command,, the political power of the region, if properly organized for such a purpose. The anthracite mines how employ some 170,000 workers and produce 70,000,090 tons of coal a year. The labor cost of producing this coal is about $1.76 a ton and at this rate the public ownership of the mines would permit the public ownership officers in charge of them to expend for labor alone over $ 123,<XX),000 yearly. Aiming at ultimate public ownership of the-anthracite coal mines, the Social* ists and the union workmen expect to make such a showing at the fall election that while they may not win their object immediately, they will take a decided step toward doing it and place themselves in a position to win greater and still greater power at each succeeding election. The great majority of the mine workers are foreign born workers from the provinces of southern and southeastern Europe. This class could, with proper organization, control the political destinies of the anthracite district and they are now being trained by the Socialists.