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trates the position that the operators are in in
this particular situation in this district, with the
wage scale at the maximum, with conditions surrounding
that wage scale in the production of
coal that makes cost eight or ten cents greater
than we can get. Those are hardships we are
here to contend are created by restrictions put
upon us from year to year, and we are in a rather
peculiar situation.
"With these Southern fields able to produce
coal at such low prices, under-selling us in the
market and taking away between one and two
million tons last year, with many of the operators
meeting the situation by making prices that they
themselves could not produce coal at last summer,
it puts us in a peculiar situation. With the rates
we have to tidewater and to the fields we sell our
coal in, with labor demanding at the other end of
the line an increase of the wage they are now
THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN. 29
W. A. LATHROP,
getting, reminded me, as I started in to say, of a
gentleman and his wife, who were invited to a
very high-toned party in New York. The wife
wanted to go because it was a very fashionable
affair, and they accepted, and the wife had nice
new clothes prepared and they went that evening
to this party. In getting out of the carriage the
gentleman's pantaloons caught on the carriage
door and they were ripped
President of the Pennsylvania Coal & Coke Co., a Floor Leader of the Operators
in the Altoona Wage Debate.
FROM STEM TO STERN.
SO he was not presentable and he said, 'We must
go home.' The wife broke down in tears and said,
'If you just come in the house your overcoat will
cover you until we get upstairs, and we will wait
there until all the guests have arrived and when
they have gone down you can come to the ladies'
room and have your pantaloons sewed up.' And
she pleaded with the gentleman and he yielded.
and they went upstairs together and they waited