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GOAL TRADE BULLETIN.
Vol. XIII. PITTSBURGH, PA., JUNE 15, 1905. No. 2.
THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN;
PUBLISHED TWICE A MONTH.
Copyrighted by THE COAL TRADE COMPANY, 1905.
A. Ii. HAMILTON, Proprietor and Publisher,
H. J. STHACB, Managing Editor.
SUBSCRIPTION, - - - - $2.00 A YEAR.
Correspondence and communications upon all matters
relating to coal or coal production are invited.
All communications and remittances to
THK COAI. TRADE COMPANY.
926-930 PARK BUILDING, PITTSBURGH, PA.
Long Distance Telephone U30 Grant.
[Entered at the Post Office at Pittsburgh, I'a., as
Second Class Mail Matter.]
THE SUBJECT of miners' holidays is fast becoming
a serious problem to those engaged in the pro­
duction of coal. The daily press throughout the
country finds it a fruitful source of news and it
is rapidly assuming a degree of importance that
must soon command attention. The American and
English-speaking miners generally are content
with the ordinary national holidays and are will­
ing to work during the rest of the year when em­
ployment is to be had, except, possibly, on the
occasion of funerals of those in the same calling
and a special day or two like "Eight-hour" day.
The miner of foreign extraction, on the other
hand, accepts all the usual holidays and demands
an almost incredible number in addition for the
observance of religious festivals. It is announced
that the men, largely of Sclavonic origin, em­
ployed by one of the large soft coal producing
companies, have no less than 71 holidays in the
year, exclusive of Sundays and periodic off-days
to attend funerals and weddings and to recuperate
from the effects of the manner in which these
events are celebrated. The business man must
figure at least 300 work days to the year. If con­
ditions are such that during a part of the year
there is a period of enforced idleness an effort
must be made to even up. If 60 more days of
voluntary inactivity are to be injected into the
working period there can be no evening up for
past losses and it is doubtful if the current rate
of production can be maintained. The instance
mentioned is not an exceptional one. 'ihe con­
dition apples to the entire anthracite region and
wherever miners of foreign extraction are in the
majority. No man's religious liberty should be
interfered with, but the book of books sets aside
52 days in the year as sufficient for rest and de­
votion. The exigencies of business have been
based on this requirement and those who permit
the divinely authorized days of labor to be
trenched upon unnecessarily will find difficulty in
accounting for their stewardship. It is clearly the
duty of all who believe in conducting business on
business principles to stop the holiday foolishness
without delay.
* * *
THE ATTITUDE of the Illinois miners in the mat­
ter of the increased cost of production that will
result from the application of the shot firers' law
is in line with the "conservative" stand always
taken by unions in such cases. The assumption
that there is nothing to show that the cost of pro­
duction will be increased is absurd. The appli­
cation of the law means the expenditure of many
thousands of dollars not calculated upon when
the present scale of wages was formulated, always
provided the mines continue in operation. There­
by hangs the point. If the miners decline the
moral obligation resting upon them, it is not un­
likely that many of them will find abundant lei­
sure to think the matter over before the next
scale is made. Margins of profit in the coal