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the part of the organization to protect and safeguard
the welfare and the material advancement
of the men employed there. It is true that wages
and conditions of employment are far from satisfactory;
yet. as compared with those that existed
only a few years ago. there is a decided improvement.
For your information I herewith submit a tabulated
statement showing the operation of the sliding
scale as established by the following award
of the anthracite coal strike commission.
For each increase of five cents in the average
price of white ash coal of sizes above pea coal,
sold at or near New York, between Perth Amboy
and Edgewater, and reported to tne bureau of
anthracite coal statistics, above $4.50 per ton f. o.
b., the employes shall have an increase of one per
cent, in their compensation, which shall continue
until a change in the average price of said coal
works a reduction or an increase in said additional
compensation hereunder; but the rate of
compensation shall in no case be less than that
fixed in the award. That is. when the price of
said coal reaches $4.55 per ton, the compensation
will be increased one per cent, to continue until
the price falls below $4.55 per ton, when the one
per cent, increase will cease, or until the price
reaches $4.60 per ton, when an additional one
per cent, will be added, and so on.
OPERATION OF THE SLIDING SCALE.
The operation of this sliding scale during the
period of its existence—from April 1, 1903, to and
including December 31, 1904, brought the following
result:
Average price Per cent, inof
crease in
Year. Month. coal. compensation.
1903 April $4.44 per ton, 0 per cent.
" May 4.52 " " 0 "
" June 4.60 " " 2 "
" July 4.69 " " 3 "
August 4.75 " " 5 "
" September 4.81 " " 6 "
" October 4.84 " " 6 "
November 4.85 " " 7 "
" December 4.86 " " 7 "
1904 January 4.85 " " 7 "
" February 4.87 " " 7 "
" March 4.80 " " 6 "
'* April 4.43 " " 0 "
" May 4.51 " " 0 "
" June 4.58 " " 1 "
" July 4.63 " " 2 "
" August 4.69 " " 3 "
" September 4.78 " " 5 "
" October 4.85 " " 7 "
November 4.85 " " 7 "
" December 4.86 " " 7 "
THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN. 27
You will bear in mind that the increases shown
in this table are in addition to the horizontal advance
of 10 per cent., which was granted by the
commission.
Before closing this reference to the anthracite
situation, I feel it incumbent upon me to say that
I fear the anthracite mine workers will be unable
to secure any furtlier concessions or even to maintain
their present standard, unless they take immediate
steps to perfect their organization. While
I am, of course, conscious of the fact that district
and national officers located in that field, assisted
by the thousands of loyal members of our union.
have done all in their power to arouse the negligent
to a sense of their responsibility, it is my
hope that my work during the coming year will
permit me to spend a part of my time in the anthracite
districts, where I trust that by personal
appeal I may be helpful in building up the organization
and preparing its members
To MEET THE Cnisis
that may arise upon the expiration of the award
of the anthracite coal strike commission.
Your attention is respectfully directed to another
line of attack which has been adopted by
hostile corporations against the organizations of
labor; one which, if successful, will do more to
destroy the usefulness of trade unions than all
the agencies combined, heretofore resorted to. * *
* * The Victor Fuel Co. * * * * filed a suit in the
district court of Las Animas county, Colorado,
against the United Mine Workers of America and
twelve of its national and district officers.
The suit was brought to recover $85,000 damages
for the loss that this company claims to have
sustained by having its servants enticed from its
employment, and the loss of profits consequent
thereon. It also asserts that the men it afterwards
employed or attempted to employ were intimidated
and interfered with.
Service of summons was attempted to be made
upon the U. M. W. of A. by handing a copy of the
summons to its president in Trinidad, on December
3, 1903. A motion was made by our attorneys
to quash the summons by which it was attempted
to hold the organization, on the ground that an
unincorporated association not engaged in business
could not be sued by serving a summons on
its officers—as is the practice when a corporation
is sued—or in any other way. This motion was
twice argued and was overruled by the court.
A demurrer was interposed on the ground that
the complaint did not contain facts sufficient to
constitute a cause of action and that the remedy
sought to be invoked was obsolete and had no
place in a free country where caste and class distinctions
were not recognized; that men had the
right to organize and to strike when conditions